Iranian-Kurd athlete wins gold at Paris Olympics
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A Kurdish athlete from Iran’s western Kurdish areas (Rojhelat) on Saturday won the gold medal at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games.
Arian Salimi, 20, from the Kurdish city of Kermanshah in western Iran, won gold in the men's +80kg taekwondo weight class by defeating his British competitor Caden Cunningham 2-1 in the final bout.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian congratulated the athlete.
“Our dear son Arian Salimi, your powerful gold removed the fatigue from our bodies. Iran’s first youth in the Olympics, you won the hearts of the people with a beautiful medal, may you always be proud,” Pezeshkian said on X.
Salimi previously won the gold medal in the 87 kilograms category at the 2024 Asian Games and silver at the 2022 Asian Games. He also took gold at the 2022 World Taekwondo Grand Slam and bronze at the 2023 World Taekwondo Championships in Baku.
Iran’s taekwondo team also grabbed three more medals, with Mobina Nematzadeh winning bronze in the 49 kilograms category and Nahid Kiani and Mehran Barkhordari each winning silver in the 57 and 80 kilograms categories respectively.
Iran has won ten medals so far at the Paris Olympics - three gold, five silver, and two bronze.
Arian Salimi, 20, from the Kurdish city of Kermanshah in western Iran, won gold in the men's +80kg taekwondo weight class by defeating his British competitor Caden Cunningham 2-1 in the final bout.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian congratulated the athlete.
“Our dear son Arian Salimi, your powerful gold removed the fatigue from our bodies. Iran’s first youth in the Olympics, you won the hearts of the people with a beautiful medal, may you always be proud,” Pezeshkian said on X.
Arian Salimi 🇮🇷 is the M+80kg Olympic champion!!🥇
— World Taekwondo (@worldtaekwondo) August 10, 2024
The Iranian came from behind in the final to win 2-1 against Caden Cunningham 🇬🇧 who takes silver 🥈#Taekwondo | #Olympics | #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/hVcJooJbL8
Salimi previously won the gold medal in the 87 kilograms category at the 2024 Asian Games and silver at the 2022 Asian Games. He also took gold at the 2022 World Taekwondo Grand Slam and bronze at the 2023 World Taekwondo Championships in Baku.
Iran’s taekwondo team also grabbed three more medals, with Mobina Nematzadeh winning bronze in the 49 kilograms category and Nahid Kiani and Mehran Barkhordari each winning silver in the 57 and 80 kilograms categories respectively.
Iran has won ten medals so far at the Paris Olympics - three gold, five silver, and two bronze.