Shining Night for Iranian Girls at the Olympics; Nahid Kiani Wins Silver, Kimia Alizadeh Takes Bronze

Kimia Alizadeh, an Iranian-born representative of the Bulgarian taekwondo team, won a bronze medal in taekwondo at the Paris Olympics on Thursday, August 9, by defeating her Chinese opponent. Ms. Alizadeh, who competed in the under 57 kg weight category, had previously lost to Nahid Kiani from the Iranian national team. After defeating Ms. Alizadeh in the final match, Ms. Kiani lost to her South Korean opponent and secured a silver medal. She had previously won a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics in Brazil. Like many other Iranian sports champions, Ms. Alizadeh sought asylum in the Netherlands in 2020 due to restrictions and issues stemming from mismanagement in the sports sector of the Islamic Republic. Mismanagement, gender discrimination, political pressures on athletes, and challenges arising from financial difficulties and facilities have led to an increase in the wave of Iranian athletes seeking asylum in other countries. This prominent Iranian athlete participated in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics as a member of the IOC Refugee Olympic Team and finished in fourth place. Alongside Kimia Alizadeh, two other athletes participated in the 2024 Paris Olympics under the flags of other countries: Sabah Shariati in the wrestling team of Azerbaijan and Maryam Sheikh Alizadeh in the swimming team of Azerbaijan. Additionally, 14 members of the 37-member refugee team are also Iranian, who have left Iran in recent years. The confrontation of Iranian athletes at the Olympics; Prince Reza Pahlavi: Nahid and Kimia are both winners, the loser is the Islamic Republic. The opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympics was magnificent and different; athletes paraded on the Seine River. The Olympic refugee team entered the Olympic Village in Paris alongside Iranian athletes. Different reactions from athletes and champions to the killing of Ebrahim Raisi. Kimia Alizadeh became the European champion; the shining performance of the Iranian refugee taekwondo player under the Bulgarian flag. The smallest Olympic delegation from Iran in the past two decades: only 40 athletes are going to Paris. For the first time, a woman from Iran has reached the world gold in taekwondo.