Personal information | |||||||||
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Native name | ایمان مهدوی | ||||||||
Born | Iran | February 12, 1995||||||||
Occupation | Freestyle wrestler | ||||||||
Medal record
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Iman Mahdavi (Persian: ایمان مهدوی; 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.
Iman Mahdavi was born on February 12, 1995, in Iran along the Caspian Sea.[1][2] 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.[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]
After 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 |
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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 |
On 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]
Iranian refugee and immigrant athletes | |
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