Hangzhou Asian Games:
Rasouli wins discus throw gold in fitting farewell for Haddadi
Iranian discus throw sensation Ehsan Haddadi saw his 16-year reign at the Asian Games come to an end on Monday as his fellow countryman Hossein Rasouli walked away with the ultimate prize of the event in Hangzhou.
Having announced that the showdown at the HOC Stadium would be his final appearance at the Asian Games, Haddadi thought his season-best throw of 61.82m in a second attempt had been enough to secure a fifth successive gold in the competitions for the 2012 Olympic silver winner, before the 23-year-old Rasouli registered 62.04m on his fourth throw as Iran still enjoyed a remarkable one-two in the athletics competition.
“I knew the 62m throw would seal the gold, though I could have done better but I was struggling with a chest injury during the event,” Rasouli said.
China’s Abuduaini Tuergong – a gold medalist in July’s Asian Championships – settled for the bronze with 61.19m.
“I was a bit unlucky today as I had a severe back pain before the contest. I think I could have exceeded the 64m-mark had it not been for the physical condition. I’m still happy the discus throw gold remains in Iran,” said Haddadi, who was reduced to tears after the event while being surrounded by his opponents for the day.
Asked if Monday’s contest would mark his retirement from the sport, Haddadi said: “I’ll make the final decision when I return to Tehran. I can still qualify for the Paris Olympics, so I may continue until next year’s Games.”
“It’s been a tough 22 years in competitive sport. My body has been through a lot as I have gone under seven or eight surgeries over these years,” added the Iranian, 38, who also has six Asian golds as well as a 2011 world bronze under his belt.
Kurash glory
Elsewhere in Hangzhou, Iran’s Sadeq Azarang grabbed a gold medal in the kurash competitions, thanks to a final victory over South Korean Kim Ming-yu in the men’s -90kg weight class.
Zahra Baqeri won a silver following a defeat against the host’s Liu Yi in the women’s -87kg final, with Melika Omidvand – beaten by the Chinese in the semifinals – taking the joint-bronze of the class.
In canoe sprint events, Iran’s Peyman Qavidel and Sepehr Sa’atchi teamed up for a third-place finish behind the Chinese and South Korean pairs in the men’s kayak double 500m final, while Iranian duo Adel Mojallalimoqadam and Kia Estandani also finished their campaign with a bronze in the men’s canoe double 500m final.
Hediyeh Kazemi clocked 2:00.635 to win a bronze in the women’s kayak single 500m contest.