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Wrestling wunderkind Hedayati aiming for seniors high
A former world junior champion, Hedayati, 20, was in a league of his own in October’s U23 World Championships in Tirana, outmuscling Russian Dmitrii Baboryko 6-0 for the ultimate prize of 130kg contest.
The final victory rounded off an emphatic run for Hedayati, who won three of his five bouts by technical superiority, while Ukrainian Mykhailo Vyshnyvetskyi was the only wrestler to score against the Iranian young gun, though he eventually fell to a 12-4 defeat.
“All of my opponents in Tirana are among the top under-23 wrestlers of the superheavyweight category, but I prepared well for the competitions and, thank God, beat them all emphatically to win the most prestigious medal,” Hedayati told ISNA.
“I had two of my teeth broken in a collision with an opponent on the first day of my campaign but still managed to continue with the pain,” added the Iranian, who has now set sights on success on the grandest sporting stage of them all.
“Every wrestler dreams of success in the Olympics, and I’m no exception. My ultimate goal is to win the gold medal at the next Olympic Games in 2028 and I will give it my all to that end.
“For now, all I’m focused on is to be part of the national team in the Seniors World Championships next year and win the gold medal there,” Hedayati said.
However, standing between Hedayati and a place in the Iranian squad is the reigning world champion and Olympic bronze medalist Amin Mirzazadeh.
“Amin and I might be rivals on the mat, but are two good friends off it. I’ll work hard to overcome him in the coming months, I just hope the best wrestler will ultimately represent the country at the World Championships,” Hedayati said of his rivalry with his fellow-Iranian.
Hedayati stole all the wrestling headlines when he made his seniors international breakthrough in June’s Ranking Series event in Budapest, outmuscling Turkish great Riza Kayaalp – a winner of 13 world and Olympic medals – before coming out on top against Georgian Iakobi Kajaia, who won the silver at the Tokyo Olympics, in the final showpiece.
The young Iranian, however, regrets never finding the chance to lock horns with legendary Cuban Mijaín López, who brought the curtain down on his illustrious career after winning a fifth successive Olympic gold in August.
“López was a true great with a storied career and numerous medals, who made history in Paris. I always wanted to wrestle him and Riza Kayaalp. That is what I always envisioned since I was a young kid.
“I faced Kayaalp in Budapest a few months ago and got the better of him. I really wanted to take on López for once, but it just wasn’t meant to be.”