Iranian Ne’matzadeh sets sights on LA gold
Olympic bronze medalist Mobina Ne’matzadeh said she is already keen on walking away with the ultimate prize when the Games return to Los Angeles in four-years’ time.
The teenage sensation was one of the four Iranians in a remarkable taekwondo event for the country at Paris Olympics, defeating Saudi opponent Dunya Abutaleb in straight rounds to win the women’s -49kg bronze and become only the second Iranian girl to win a medal in Olympic history.
Her success was followed by silver medals for Nahid Kiani (women’s -57kg) and Mehran Barkhordari (men’s -80kg) before Arian Salimi grabbed the men’s +80kg gold on the final day in the French capital’s Grand Palais.
“The taekwondo contests featured the best in the world. I was the first Iranian representative in action at the sporting extravaganza and knew my performance would impact on my teammates’ results,” Ne’matzadeh told Mehr News Agency.
“Thank God my bronze motivated them for more achievements,” added the 19-year-old, whose senior debut came at the Asian Championships two years ago, when she won a prestigious silver to help the women’s team claim a first-ever title in the continent.
“The greatest champions in the world have won their first Olympic medal at a young age. That really inspired me, not to mention my coach Mahrouz Saei and my family, namely my father, always said: ‘You have what it takes to stand on the Olympic podium.’ They gave me the confidence and eagerness for the start of the Games.”
Ne’matzadeh began with a comfortable win against Lesotho’s Michelle Tau but perhaps the pinnacle of her campaign came in the quarterfinals, where she came out on top in straight rounds against high-profile Spanish Adriana Cerezo, a silver winner in the Tokyo Games three years ago and bronze medalist in last year’s World Championships.
“We knew the draw prior to the Games, so I was fully focused on my opponents in the buildup to the event. The coaching staff and I analyzed all of them during the training sessions, which is why I had a proper plan for the Spaniard and managed to keep her at bay throughout the contest,” Ne’matzadeh said of her Olympic preparation.
The Iranian’s winning run came to an end in the last-four encounter against Chinese Guo Qing – a second setback against the world No. 6 after the seminal loss in last year’s Asian Games.
“I was in my best form for the Olympics, despite a massive weight loss, and truly deserved to reach the final. I was intent on winning the gold when heading to Paris.
“I would have beaten the Chinese, had it not been for a refereeing mistake. Everyone in the venue saw that, though it’s just part of the sports. Maybe it just wasn’t meant for me to win the Olympic gold at such a young age,” said the former world junior champion.
However, the Iranian said she will “go all out to get the job done” in the LA 2028.
“I will be just 23 in the next Olympics. When I stepped down the podium in Paris, I was full of determination to make amends in Los Angeles and win the gold, though I know I’ll have to work hard to make that happen.”