Leader Thanks Medal-Winning Olympians as Iran Finishes 27th

Leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has thanked the country’s Olympics medalists after the Iranian team wrapped up its campaign with 7 medals.

“I thank Olympics medal winners who made the Iranian nation happy with their efforts,” the Leader said in a message.

Iran’s Olympics team, consisting of 66 athletes competing in 16 sports, won the 27th spot in the Tokyo Olympics with three gold, two silver and two bronze medals.

The Iranian team won medals in shooting, wrestling, weight lifting and karate.

Iran shone in the debut presence of karate in the summer Olympics with Sajjad Ganjzadeh winning the gold in the +75 kilogram category. It was a gold many did not think Iran would win and wrapped up Iran’s medal haul in the Olympics.

Iran also won another widely-unexpected gold when Javad Foroughi, on the second day of the contests, grabbed the top spot in shooting. It was Iran’s first Olympics medal in shooting and made the 42-year-old Iran’s oldest ever Olympics medalist.

Iran bagged its other gold in Greco-Roman wrestling after Mohammad Reza Geraei smoothed past its rivals in the 67-kilogram category to win the top spot.

Ali Davoodi Javan also won the Iranian team a silver weight lifting medal in the +109 kilogram category with a total lift of 441 kilograms, marking Iran’s first medal in the weight class in over a decade.

Iranians bagged their other medals in wrestling.

Hassan Yazdani won the 86-kilogram medal in the free style category after defeat against his American rival David Taylor in the finals. Iran also secured the bronze in the 125 kilogram category after free styler Amir Hossein Zare beat his Chinese opponent. Mohammad Hadi Saravi also won Iran the third spot in the 97-kilogram Greco-Roman face-off after beating his Finnish opponent.

Iran was represented by 10 female athletes in the Tokyo Olympics. The Iranian women were best in rowing, where Nazanin Molaei won the 11th spot, the best place Iranian female rowers have ever won the in the history of the games.

The Tokyo summer Olympics will wrap up Monday with China, the US and Japan on top, respectively, so far.

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