World Taekwondo Championships:
Olympic medalists Salimi, Kiani crash out on Day 1
Iran got off to a disappointing start at the World Taekwondo Championships in Wuxi, China, as Olympic medalists Arain Salimi and Nahid Kiani were knocked out in the last-16 round of their respective weight classes on Friday.
A men’s +80kg gold medalist at the Paris Olympics last year, Salimi began his campaign with a 2-0 victory over Cuba’s Yoikel Goicochea but was stunned 2-1 by Ukraine’s Andrii Harbar – bronze medalist in July’s World University Games – in his bout.
Meanwhile, last year’s world -53kg champion Kiani, who won a historic women’s silver medal in Paris, began with a 2-1 victory over Darya Kostenevych of Ukraine before a 2-1 setback against American four-time Grand Prix medalist Faith Dillon saw the Iranian girl finish empty-handed in the -57kg event.
Iran’s Mahla Mo’menzadeh and Mahdi Hajimousaei will be in action on the second day of the World Championships, vying for glory in the women’s -49kg and men’s -63kg contests respectively.
Former world silver medalist Mo’menzadeh will face Botswana’s Karabo Kula in the first round, with the winner taking on Mah Teninba Fofana of France.
Reigning Asian champion Hajimousaei will square off against Briton Jamie McIntosh, with winner facing Albanian Ernest Merdanaj or Poland’s Dominik Papierowski.
Featuring 989 male and female contestants, the 27th edition of the World Championships will continue in Wuxi until Thursday.