By Ahmad Rafat
Fourteen Iranian athletes are competing in the Paris Olympic Games as refugees. They are part of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Refugee Olympic Team (ROT), which has a total of 36 athletes from 11 countries competing across 12 sports.
Over the past decade, some 90 athletes from various disciplines who won medals for Iran have subsequently emigrated to other countries.
The Olympic Solidarity Commission supports the ROT and plays a crucial role in helping these athletes. The team’s flagbearer this year is Masoumeh Ali Zada, an Afghan athlete who previously competed as a road cyclist in the Olympics.
Kimia Alizadeh is the only Iranian female athlete ever to have earned an Olympic medal. During the Paris Games, she will compete on the tatami mat as a member of the Bulgarian taekwondo team.
Alizadeh achieved significant recognition when she returned to Iran with a bronze medal from the 30th Olympic Games held in Rio de Janeiro. More recently, in May, she added to her prizes by winning a gold medal at the European Games Championship for Bulgaria. Alizadeh left Iran in December 2019 and became a Bulgarian citizen last year, marking a significant transition in her athletic career.
Saeid Mollaei, an Iranian judoka in the half-middleweight category, will compete in the Paris Games donning a Mongolian jersey. Mollaei’s athletic achievements include winning a silver medal at the World Championship 2017 and securing a gold medal in the same event the following year.
In 2019, Mollaei emigrated to Germany after Iranian authorities forced him to withdraw from a competition to avoid facing an Israeli opponent. He received his Mongolian citizenship in November of that year. Mollaei’s accomplishments on the international stage continued when he represented Mongolia at the 2020 Olympic Games, where he won a silver medal.
Mollaei and Alizadeh, each with several medals to their name, stand as a testament to the resilience of these athletes.
Iranian Judoka Saeed Mollaei Throws Match to Avoid Israeli Opponent
Other Iranian athletes who compete in the Paris Games as refugees include:
Saman Soltani, who moved to Austria in 2012, has established himself as a formidable competitor in Canoe Sprint. After joining the Iranian national team in 2016, she dominated the field by becoming the Iranian champion for a decade. However, during this time, she faced restrictions that prevented her from participating in international competitions. A significant achievement this year was when Saman secured first place in a kayaking competition held in Austria.
Saeid Fazloula is another prominent figure in the Canoe Sprint competition. He became a refugee in Germany in 2015 and has since excelled at his sport. Fazloula earned a silver medal at the Asian Games held in South Korea in 2014, showcasing his talent on an international stage. He also represented the ROT at the Tokyo Olympics.
Amir Rezanejad Hassanjani, who sought refuge in Germany in 2021, will compete in Canoe Slalom as a ROT member.
Matin Balsini is a young swimmer who moved to the UK in 2022. Prior to his move, he represented Iran at the previous Olympic Games.
Dorsa Yavarivafa will compete in badminton at the Paris Games. This talented young athlete and her mother embarked on a lengthy journey that took them through Turkey, Germany, Belgium, and France, ultimately settling in the UK.
Yekta Jamali-Galeh made history by becoming the first Iranian woman to compete in international weightlifting competitions. She won a bronze medal at the 2021 Junior World Championships in the 87 kg weight category and a silver medal at the 2022 World Junior Championships in Greece, competing in the 87 kg division. After the World Championships in Greece, Yekta sought refuge in Germany.
Iranian kickboxer Omid Ahmadisafa secured a silver medal at the World Championships held in Hungary. After competing in the World Championships in Italy, Ahmadisafa went to Germany, where he sought asylum.
Kasra Mehdipournejad is an Iranian taekwondo athlete who has lived in Berlin as a refugee since 2017. He has achieved significant success throughout the sport, winning the championship in his discipline four times while competing in Iran. Besides his national accolades, Mehdipournejad has excelled internationally, securing three gold medals at various Open Games in Belgium, Germany, and Poland. He has also earned two silver medals from competitions at the Open Games in Austria and Luxembourg.
Hadi Tiranvalipour is an Iranian taekwondo athlete who has been a refugee in Italy since 2022. He was a member of the Iranian national taekwondo team for eight years and has won the gold medal twice at the University World Championship.
Dina Pouryounes Langeroudi is a talented taekwondo athlete who sought asylum in the Netherlands in 2015. She won a silver medal at the European Championship in 2018, showcasing her skills and determination on an international stage. Langeroudi also secured gold medals at the Turkish Open Championship in 2017 and 2018, further solidifying her reputation as a formidable competitor. She holds an impressive ranking of 10th in the world among taekwondo athletes.
Mahboubi Barbari-Zharfi is a judoka who has lived with her young daughter in Germany as a refugee since 2018. At just 15 years old, she was already a member of the Iranian national judo team, showcasing her exceptional skills and commitment to the sport. Besides judo, Barbari-Zharfi also competes in swimming and athletics.
Mohammad Rashnonezhad, who received asylum in the Netherlands in 2017, is a judoka. In 2019, he achieved a remarkable feat by winning a bronze medal at the World Championships held in Malaga, Spain, while representing the refugee team.
Jamal Valizadeh, an athlete specializing in Greco-Roman wrestling, became a refugee in France in 2016 after spending two years in Turkey.
In 2020, Iman Mahdavi sought asylum in Italy. His journey as a freestyle wrestler reached a significant milestone when he secured the bronze medal at the European Championships in Sassari, Italy, in 2023.
The Islamic Republic of Iran has 40 athletes competing in the Paris Olympic Games, with 29 men and 11 women. They compete in 14 different sports disciplines. The Islamic Republic’s team theme is “Peace for Children.” The team competes under the name “Khadem Al-Reza,” which translates to “Reza’s Servant,” a reference to Shia Islam’s eighth Imam Reza, whose shrine is in the holy city of Mashhad, the capital of the northeastern province of Khorasan.
The Islamic Republic’s team’s flag bearers are Mohammad Nikkhah, an athlete specializing in taekwondo, and Haniyeh Rostamian, who competes in shooting sports. Rostamian previously served as the flag bearer for the Islamic Republic at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
The team representing the Islamic Republic of Iran comprises 11 wrestlers competing in Greco-Roman and freestyle categories. It also includes four taekwondo competitors, two of whom are women. Four female and one male athlete will compete in shooting and archery. Notably, one of these athletes, Rostamian, has a promising opportunity to advance to the final round of her event.
Iran has sent five athletes to compete in rowing events at the Paris Games. Mahsa Javar and Zainab Nowrouzi will compete in the women’s Rowing Double Sculls category, where they have a promising chance of securing a spot on the podium.
Besides rowing, three competitors represent Iran in athletics. Farzaneh Fasihi holds the national record for women’s 60-meter and 100-meter sprints in Iran. Known as “Wind Girl,” her primary goal is not winning a medal but improving her best times. Fasihi has achieved significant success, earning a silver medal at the 2016 Asian Games and a bronze medal two years later.
Iran’s only real chance to win a medal at the Paris Games is in Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling, taekwondo, and weightlifting.
