WANA (Sep 19) – The Greco-Roman Wrestling World Championships in Croatia turned into a golden celebration for Iran as Gholamreza Farrokhi and Amin Mirzazadeh captured two brilliant gold medals, while Peyman Ahmadi added a valuable silver.
In the 82kg division, Gholamreza Farrokhi powered through the competition with authority. He defeated opponents from China and Hungary with identical 9–0 scores, then needed barely a minute to sweep aside a Swiss wrestler in the quarterfinals. In the semis, he outclassed Croatia’s Karlo Kudric 7–1, setting up a final against Georgia’s Bolkvadze. In front of a stunned home crowd, Farrokhi sealed a 4–0 win and Iran’s first gold of the tournament. His bow to the Iranian flag and emotional victory lap brought the arena to life.
Gholamreza Farrokhi. Social media / WANA News Agency
Iran’s heavyweight Amin Mirzazadeh added more glory in the 130kg category. He opened with a dominant 8–0 win over Croatia’s Marco Kosovic, then edged Finland’s Kasmanne 4–3 with a spectacular pin. In the semifinal, he beat China’s Jiang 3–1. The final turned into a statement performance as Mirzazadeh overpowered Hungary’s Dariusz Vitek 7–2. His ecstatic celebration after the whistle echoed Iran’s strength on the global stage, securing the country’s second gold.
In the 55kg class, Peyman Ahmadi delivered another highlight. After storming past rivals from Kyrgyzstan and Moldova, he stunned European champion Eldeniz Azizli of Azerbaijan in the semifinals. In a thrilling final, Ahmadi fell just short, losing 9–7 to Georgia’s Lelua, but his silver medal carried weight — especially as it followed his gold at last month’s World Junior Championships.
Peyman Ahmadi’s Stunning Suplex at the World Championships. Social media / WANA News Agency
Meanwhile, Alireza Abdoli (77kg) fought strongly to reach the semifinals but finished fifth.
With two golds and one silver on the opening night, Iran stamped its authority on the championships, proving once again that its Greco-Roman tradition remains a force not only in Asia but across Europe as well.
After winning Iran’s first Greco-Roman wrestling gold medal at the World Championships in Croatia, Gholamreza Farrokhi first bowed to the Iranian flag and then took a victory lap. Social media / WANA News Agency