Hamid Soryan has won Iran’s first gold medal at the London Olympics, defeating Azerbaijan’s Rovshan Bayramov in the 55 kg Greco-Roman wrestling competition.
This is Iran’s first-ever gold medal in Greco-Roman wrestling.
Soryan comfortably overcame his Azeri adversary, winning the first two rounds 2-0 and 1-0 on Sunday August 5.
Soryan reportedly cruised into the gold medal final, beating Hungary’s Peter Modos, and Denmark’s Haakan Nyblom.
While Iran has 30 medals overall in freestyle wrestling, until today it only had two, a silver and a bronze, in Greco-Roman wrestling, in which competitors can only use their arms and upper bodies.
Soryan’s victory, along with Kianoush Rostami’s bronze medal win in weightlifting, has raised Iran to 31st place in the medal standings.
