With three-time world bronze medalist Mohammad-Ali Geraei serving a one-year ban by the UWW, Abdi looked to be the favorite to lead the line for Iran in chasing an Olympic berth following a gold-winning run in December’s National Championships.
However, a first-round 11-3 hammering by the host’s Antonio Kamenjasevic in the Croatian capital on Friday cast major doubts over his credentials for a place in April’s Asian Olympic qualifiers in Bishkek.
Abdi will be given a second chance in March’s Yasar Dogu & Vehbi Emre tournament in Antalya, Turkey, where he will be joined by fellow-Iranian Amin Kavianinejad, who won a silver in the Asian Games last October, in the 77kg contests, with the best of the two securing a place in the Kyrgyz capital event.
Iran has already guaranteed four Greco-Roman quotas for next summer’s Paris Olympics – courtesy of medal-winning campaigns by Amin Mirzazadeh, Mohammadreza Geraei, and Mohammad-Hadi Saravi, as well as Mahdi Mohsennejad’s 60kg fifth-place in last year’s World Championships – with the 77kg, and 87kg slots still up for grabs.
Mirzazadeh defeated Turkish great Rıza Kayaalp for the 130kg gold, while reigning Olympic champion Geraei and Saravi left Belgrade with a couple of consolation bronzes in the 67kg and 97kg competitions respectively.
Alireza Mohmadi – an 82kg silver winner in Belgrade – will likely be the Iranian 87kg contestant at the Asian qualifiers, thanks to his victory over Nasser Alizadeh in the national final followed by a Zagreb Open silver.