Hadi Tiranvalipour (born March 21, 1998) is an Iranian taekwondo practitioner who will compete with the Refugee Olympic Team at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 21, 1998 Iran |
| Occupation | Taekwondo practitioner |
| Sport | |
| Team | Refugee Olympic Team (2024) |
Tiranvalipour was born on March 21, 1998, in Iran[1] and grew up near Karaj. He recalls watching Hadi Saei win his first Olympic gold medal in taekwondo at the 2004 Summer Olympics, telling his mother he wanted to be like Saei and participate in the Olympic Games.[2] Tiranvalipour was a member of the Iranian national taekwondo team for eight years. He was also a television presenter, a position which he used to advocate for women's rights in Iran, which have historically been severely restricted.[3] Tiranvalipour was forced to leave Iran in 2022 and became a refugee in Italy.[4]
Upon his arrival as a refugee in Italy, Tiranvalipour applied for a student visa to study for a master's degree at the University of Tor Vergata. He spent his first ten days in Italy living in a forest, later spending the next several months living on couches and working as a dishwasher.[2] After arriving in Italy, Tiranvalipour wrote an email to the Italian Taekwondo Federation asking for an opportunity to compete. After not receiving a response, he visited the federation in person, when they accepted his request.[5] He began training with the Italian national taekwondo team at Stadio Olimpico in Rome.[4]
On March 10, 2024, Tiranvalipour failed to qualify for the taekwondo men's -58 kg category in the 2024 Summer Olympics through the European Qualification Tournament.[6] However, on May 2, he was announced as a member of the Refugee Olympic Team for its participation in the Olympics.[7]
References
edit- ^ "Tiranvalipour, Hadi". TaekwondoData. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
- ^ a b Schwager-Patel, Nischal; Watta, Evelyn (July 12, 2024). "Inspired by Olympic champion teammate, refugee athlete Hadi Tiranvalipour wants to write his own history at Paris 2024". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
- ^ Della Penna, Silvia (June 19, 2024). "Hadi Tiranvalipour: «The refugees athletes fight in life too»". Zeta. Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali Guido Carli. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
- ^ a b "Hadi Tiranvalipour". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
- ^ "Hadi Tiranvalipour: Taekwondo offers refugee fresh start at Paris Olympics". The National. Abu Dhabi. July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
- ^ Khalatyan, Rafael (July 20, 2024). "Olympic champion Dell'Aquila inspires Refugee Athlete Tiranvalipour". Inside the Games. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
- ^ Goh, ZK (May 2, 2024). "IOC Refugee Olympic Team Paris 2024 announced, formed of 36 athletes". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
External links
edit
- Hadi Tiranvalipour at Olympics.com
- Hadi Tiranvalipour at TaekwondoData.com