Iman Mahdavi (born February 12, 1995) is an Iranian freestyle wrestler who immigrated to Italy and will compete with the Refugee Olympic Team at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
| Personal information | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | February 12, 1995 Iran | ||||||||
| Occupation | Freestyle wrestler | ||||||||
Medal record
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Early life
editIman Mahdavi was born on February 12, 1995, in Iran along the Caspian Sea.[1] He grew up in the Mazandaran province. His father was a wrestler, which led to Mahdavi's involvement in the sport starting at the age of fifteen.[2][3] Mahdavi became a seven-time national junior champion.[4]
Mahdavi's father later died of a heart attack after being wrongly informed his son had died in a traffic collision.[5]
In October 2020, Mahdavi was forced to leave Iran out of fear for his life. He crossed its border with Turkey on foot. Twenty days later, in November, Mahdavi flew to Milan, Italy, where he applied for asylum.[3][6][7] On his way to Italy, he did not know where he was flying, and felt lucky to arrive in Italy.[4][5]
Career
editAfter arriving in Italy, Mahdavi began training at the Lotta Club Seggiano gym in Pioltello,[8] which was recommended to him by a friend he made on Instagram. His coach there, Marco "Papi" Moroni, also helped him start a job as a bouncer at a nightclub.[5]
The coaches at the gym quickly noticed Mahdavi's advanced technique and strength, which prompted them to train him for competitions.[4]
Mahdavi has participated in the following competitions during his wrestling career:[9]
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | European Wrestling Championships | Zagreb, Croatia | 12th | Men's freestyle 79 kg | |
| City of Sassari Tournament | Sassari, Italy | 3rd | Men's freestyle 79 kg | [10] | |
| 2023 Poland Open | Warsaw, Poland | 5th | Men's freestyle 79 kg | The men's freestyle event is also known as the Wacław Ziółkowski Memorial. | |
| World Wrestling Championships | Belgrade, Serbia | 18th | Men's freestyle 79 kg | ||
| 2024 | European Wrestling Championships | Bucharest, Romania | 12th | Men's freestyle 79 kg |
2024 Summer Olympics
editOn May 2, 2024, Mahdavi was announced as one of thirty-six athletes who would join the Refugee Olympic Team in its participation at the 2024 Summer Olympics, particularly in the men's freestyle 74 kg event.[7]
References
edit- ^ "Mahdavi Iman". Paris 2024 Olympics. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
- ^ "Iman Mahdavi". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
- ^ a b Della Penna, Silvia (June 19, 2024). "Iman Mahdavi: «I decided to persue my dreams outside my homeland»". Zeta. Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali Guido Carli. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
- ^ a b c Iman Mahdavi (Video). Countdown to Paris. YurView. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Correction: Refugee Team story". Times Union. July 16, 2024. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
- ^ "کشتیگیر ایرانی در چند قدمی المپیک پاریس ۲۰۲۴؛ از پناهندگی در ایتالیا تا تمرین و آشپزی" [The Iranian wrestler is a few steps away from the 2024 Paris Olympics; From asylum in Italy to training and cooking]. Euronews (in Persian). April 3, 2024. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
- ^ a b "Valizadeh, Mahdavi named in IOC Refugee Team for 2024 Paris Olympics". United World Wrestling. Lausanne, Switzerland. May 2, 2024. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
- ^ "Refugee Team for Paris Olympics has 36 athletes from 11 countries across 12 sports". Associated Press. Lausanne, Switzerland. May 2, 2024. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
- ^ "Mahdavi, Iman (UWW)". International Wrestling Database. United World Wrestling. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
- ^ "28th città di sassari international tournament" (PDF) (in Italian). United World Wrestling. p. 31. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
External links
edit
- Iman Mahdavi at Olympics.com
- Iman Mahdavi at the International Wrestling Database (alternate link)