Yazdani set for weight class switch on return from injury
Iranian wrestling sensation Hassan Yazdani is set to change his weight class when returning from a shoulder injury, his personal coach confirmed.
A winner of a national-high 10 world and Olympic medals, the freestyle wrestler had to undergo a second surgery on his injured shoulder in September and is expected to be sidelined for up to 18 months.
Yazdani, who had been out of action for eight months with the same problem before last June’s Ranking Series event in Budapest, chased a second Olympic gold in Paris in August, but had to settle for the 86kg silver after being hit with the recurring injury during a 7-1 loss to Bulgarian Magomed Ramazanov in the final showpiece.
“Hassan has gained some weight since the second surgery, which is why he has decided not to compete in the 86kg class again,” Hemmat Moslemi told Varzesh3, adding: “He will surely miss the 2025 World Championships as he is not willing to rush back to wrestling.”
“He will go to Paris [where he had the surgery] in three or four months to be visited by his surgeon and know about the timeframe for his full recovery,” added the Iranian coach.
Iranian fans thought the final defeat in Paris was the last episode of the 29-year-old’s storied career but Yazdani was quick to reject the retirement plan on his return from the French capital as he remains eager to collect the coveted ultimate prize in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics – one that will see him overtake taekwondo great Hadi Saei as the most-decorated Iranian in the history of the Games with double golds and silvers apiece.
Asked what will be Yazdani’s future plans, Moslemi said: “As it stands, Hassan will participate in the 92kg contests in the 2026 World Championships, and will then move up to the 97kg category if he decides to compete in the Asian Games.
“His ultimate goal will be to take part in the 97kg class in the L.A. Olympics, but we should take one step at a time,” Moslemi said.
Yazdani had already switched his weight class once through his senior career, moving from the 74kg category to 86kg after winning the Olympic gold in Rio 2016, though Moslemi insisted: “We should wait for him to be visited by his doctor to make a full assessment of his body and, most significantly, the shoulder injury.”