Systematically medalist in wrestling at the Olympic Games since 1952, Iran intends to demonstrate its talents once again this summer in Paris. The country, which fought to keep Greco-Roman wrestling and freestyle wrestling on the Olympic program, is among the most renowned in the world in these disciplines. A recognition that comes from a great culture of struggle in Iran.
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Between the ancestral English boxing which is still successful and the rise of mixed martial arts (MMA), driven by the power and notoriety of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) organization, wrestling is not the combat sport the most popular. It nonetheless remains a pillar of the modern Olympic Games. This summer in Paris, for the 2024 Olympics, 72 medals will be distributed, including 18 gold, between Greco-Roman wrestling and freestyle wrestling for men, and freestyle wrestling for women. A quest for medals in which Iran does not come to make up the numbers.
Gholamreza Takhti, an eternal wrestling legend in Iran
Within the Iranian delegation, we of course have the London 2012 record in mind. In the United Kingdom, the Iranians had won thirteen charms in all sports, including six only for wrestling. In its entire Olympic history, the country has collected 76 medals, including 47 in wrestling alone, by far the sport where Iranians are the most prolific ahead of weightlifting (20 medals).
In Iran, the memory of veterans is passed down from generation to generation. Gholamreza Takhti, silver medalist in 1952 in Helsinki, gold in 1956 in Melbourne and silver again in 1960 in Rome, remains a major icon of Iranian sport, half a century after his death at age 38 in mysterious circumstances . Recognized for his talent, his courtesy and his fair play in his fights, Gholamreza Takhti, also known under the pseudonym “Jahan Pahlevan” (“World Champion”), remains a hero in a country addicted to wrestling.
Iran’s attraction to wrestling comes from varzesh-e pahlavani. This national sport, similar to a Persian martial art, combines bodybuilding, gymnastics, spiritual rites, dance and wrestling, all to the sound of a tombak, an Iranian percussion instrument. Varzesh-e pahlavani is practiced in a zourkhaneh (“house of strength, chivalry and generosity”), a traditional gymnasium in Iran. This discipline is now less followed in the country, with children moving more towards wrestling, a more modern sport.
Questioned by the International Olympic Committee Regarding the popularity of wrestling in Iran, Mohammad Talaei, freestyle wrestling coach with the national team, explained: “ In the United States, kids who want to excel do boxing. In Brazil, in the streets or in schools, we play football. In Iran, to prove that we are strong, or in the Shâhnâmeha collection of ancient poems and epic tales from ancient Persia, the struggle is the most important. »
In struggle too, Iranian women are not free
The Iranian delegation returned from the Tokyo Olympics with four medals in wrestling. A good total which almost never existed, because a few years ago, there was talk of simply removing wrestling from the Olympic sports program. In February 2013, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced the withdrawal of this sport, which had been in all editions of the modern era since the first in 1896, with the exception of that of 1900.
But Iran fiercely opposed the move. Better: Tehran and Washington have moved forward hand in hand in this lobbying battle to maintain wrestling at the Games. This subject is one of the few on which Iranians and Americans agree and can work together, despite the hostility between the two powers over the past 45 years.
A few days after the IOC’s announcement, the Iranian president at the time, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, even took a photo with the American wrestling team, passing through Tehran, with the star-spangled banner in the background. This work finally bore fruit in September of the same year: wrestling was kept on the program for the 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games.
The deep problems shaking Iranian society, however, do not spare the struggle. In 2015, a semblance of clarity seemed to emerge when the Iranian Wrestling Federation opened the sport to women. But she listed requirements incompatible with wrestling at the international level, such as the non-presence of men during fights or the wearing of clothing not suitable for wrestling.
In September 2023, Shirin Shirzad, director of the Iranian Refugee Struggle Federation in Scotland, told the daily The world : “ What women do in Iran is not really sport. It’s an illusion. Our dream is quite simply to be able to practice without discrimination. » As in Tokyo, no Iranian woman will take part in the Olympic tournament in Paris.