Rahimi wins gold at World Archery Para Series
Iranian para-archer Somayeh Rahimi clinched the gold medal in the women's individual recurve event at the 2026 World Archery Para Series in Ahmedabad, India, delivering a dominant performance in Wednesday's final.
Competing on the final day of the tournament, Rahimi faced a Chinese opponent in the recurve women's individual final and secured a convincing 6-2 victory to claim the championship title and top spot on the podium.
Her gold-medal run capped an impressive campaign that saw her advance through several challenging rounds. In the semifinals, Rahimi was pushed to the limit by a home favorite from India, with the match ending in a 5-5 draw. She held her nerve in the decisive shoot-off, prevailing against the Indian representative to book her place in the final.
Earlier in the competition, Rahimi had also defeated an American opponent 6-4 to reach the semifinal stage.
However, Iran's success in the recurve category was not limited to the individual event. The women's recurve team, comprised of Rahimi and Mohadeseh Babahabib, secured a bronze medal on Tuesday. The pair defeated their Indonesian rivals 6-2 to finish third in the team competition, adding another medal to Iran's tally.
In the recurve mixed team event, Iran's pairing of Somayeh Rahimi and Gholamreza Rahimi faced a tough challenge against Indonesia, ultimately falling 5-1 and settling for fourth place.
Gholamreza Rahimi had earlier exited the men's individual recurve competition after losing 6-4 to an Indonesian archer. Babahabib also saw her campaign end in the individual event, falling 6-2 to a Bangladeshi opponent.
In the compound category, Iran's Hadi Noori delivered a strong performance, advancing to the round of 16. He achieved a 144-144 draw against his Slovakian rival and emerged victorious in the shoot-off to progress. However, his run ended in the next stage when he lost 142-141 to a representative from Iraq.
Other Iranian compound archers were less fortunate. Amir-Mohammad Barani narrowly lost 141-140 to a Chinese opponent, while Farzaneh Asgari put up a strong fight against a French rival but ultimately fell 143-137. Both were eliminated before reaching the round of 16.
The the 2026 World Archery Para Series in Ahmedabad features 150 athletes from 19 countries, providing a crucial platform for international competition ahead of major championships. With one gold and one bronze medal, Iran's delegation delivered a mixed but noteworthy performance, highlighted by Rahimi’s individual triumph.