WANA (August 11) – On the fifteenth day of the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Iranian sports delegation saw a mix of triumph and heartbreak. The day began with 21-year-old taekwondo athlete Arian Salimi, who competed in the men’s +80 kg category.

 

Salimi kicked off the day by securing a straightforward 2-0 victory against Uzbekistan’s Nikita Rafalovich in the round of 16. He continued his winning streak by defeating Carlos Sansores from Mexico in the quarterfinals, propelling him into the semifinals.

 

In the semifinals, Salimi faced a tough challenge from Ivan Sapina of Croatia. In a tense and closely contested match, Salimi emerged victorious with a 2-1 win, earning his spot in the final.

 

In the final match, the young Iranian sensation went head-to-head with Britain’s Caden Cunningham. In another intense battle, Salimi secured a 2-1 victory, clinching the gold medal and making history as the second Iranian taekwondo athlete, after Hadi Saei, to win an Olympic gold medal.

 

In another significant event, Iranian wrestler Amir Hossein Zare, who had previously won a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, sought to upgrade his medal to gold in Paris.

 

Zare faced Georgia’s renowned wrestler Geno Petriashvili in the final after an impressive run in the earlier rounds. Despite a strong performance, Zare fell short in a closely fought match, losing 10-9 to Petriashvili.

 

Zare had been trailing 10-1 but made a valiant comeback effort, narrowing the gap to just one point. However, his efforts were not enough to secure victory, and he ultimately settled for the silver medal.

 

Zare’s dream of becoming the second Iranian heavyweight freestyle wrestler to win Olympic gold remains unfulfilled, but his determination and close contest earned him a well-deserved silver.