Alireza Heydari: My Physical Condition is Not Suitable, I Will Work Hard Until the Olympics

Alireza Heydari, the world runner-up in 2002 and 2003, stated: Although I currently do not have an ideal physical condition, I will work hard until the Olympics. In an interview with the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA), Heydari evaluated the World Cup competitions in Azerbaijan, saying: These competitions were useful in that I was able to showcase my abilities, but they were not so heavy that I could properly test myself. He identified one of his current problems as the lack of suitable training partners in the country and emphasized: Although there may be wrestlers who could be good training partners for me, there is a significant difference between a rival who exhausts me technically and tactically on the mat and one who exerts pressure on me in terms of strength. Certainly, a suitable rival is one who challenges me technically, not in terms of power. Increasing physical strength can easily be achieved with weights or by wrestling in a higher weight class. Heydari identified wrestlers from Russia, Georgia, Turkey, the USA, and Belarus as his main opponents in the Olympics and stressed: I can only return to Iran with a strong performance from Athens if I compete in several international events and wrestle against these opponents before the Olympics. Currently, all my opponents are familiar with me and are fully aware of the techniques they need to use against me. The world champion in 1998 discussed the reasons for the team's lack of results in the World Cup in Azerbaijan, stating: In these competitions, in addition to not being prepared, the team also lacked good mental conditions, and the luck of the draw was also very important in the results. Finally, regarding his participation in the Asian Championships in Tehran, he said: I have not yet discussed this with the coaches, and their opinion is crucial.