Weightlifter Rostami not allowed to partake at Paris 2024

TEHRAN – Famous Iranian weightlifter and Olympic gold medalist, Kianoush Rostami, will not compete in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) expressed its disapproval of Rostami’s inclusion in the Qatar International Cup Grand Prix, an Olympic qualifying event.

Last week, the Iran weightlifting team’s training camp in Tehran started a new phase. Rostami, Rio 2016 Olympics champion, was not selected for the team, thus ending his chance to participate in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

However, the Iranian Weightlifting Federation sent a letter to the IWF, pleading for Rostami to be given an opportunity in the Qatar tournament to secure an Olympic quota due to his absence in the 2023 World Weightlifting Championships in Saudi Arabia, another Olympic qualifying event held from 4 to 17 September 2023.

The IWF firmly rejected this request and insisted on following the Olympic quota system.

According to the Olympic quota system, weightlifters must compete in both the 2023 World Championship in Saudi Arabia and the 2024 IWF World Cup in Thailand, ensuring their eligibility for the Olympics.

Rostami was extremely disappointed for not being able to compete in the 2024 Olympics and not being selected for the Iran national team by coach Navab Nasir Shalal.

“I had a strong desire to bring glory to my country by joining the Iranian national weightlifting team. However, I knew from the beginning that they wouldn’t include me in the national team or support my participation in the Paris Olympics,” he expressed his anger.

Kianoush Rostami participated in the 85 kg event at the 2016 Summer Olympics, where he secured the gold medal and established a new world record by lifting a total of 396 kilograms. He had snatched the silver medal at the London 2012 Summer Olympics.