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She became a young hero in her home country after becoming the first woman to win an Olympic medal for Iran in 2016. On Sunday, Kimia Alizadeh, an asylum seeker and part of the refugee team, drew against an Iranian opponent.
Bronze medalist in the 57-pound taekwondo division at the Rio Games, Alizadeh made a short run to beat Nahid Kiyani in a match that was covered in political intrigue far more than sports tension.
The warriors’ entries highlighted how Alizadeh’s life has changed since then. Left Iran last year to start a new life in Germany. Alizadeh, who once complained about being forced to wear a headscarf, confidently walked into the hall, let her hair loose and showed her fist to a trained television camera. Meanwhile, Kiyani was accompanied by a female member of her entourage; Both women wore headscarves.
The taller than the duo, Alizadeh dominated before recording an 18-9 win. They embraced Kiyani, who was a close friend. Alizadeh then walked out to thank the Iranian coaching team.
In her second event on Sunday, Alizadeh scored an impressive victory, beating British two-time Olympic champions Jade Jones 16-12.
Alizadeh’s medal in Rio instantly made her an overnight celebrity in Iran, where female sports stars are rare. Announced that he was leaving in an Instagram post In 2020, she denounced the Iranian government for oppressing women.
“They took me wherever they wanted. I wore whatever they said. I repeated every sentence they wanted me to say. They exploited me when they saw fit,” she said in a post accompanied by a photo of her wearing a black and white headscarf, holding her head in her hands while wearing the taekwondo uniform.
Saeid Mollaei, a judoka, left Iran for Germany a few months before defecting, after he claimed he was pressured to play a match to avoid the possibility of facing an Israeli opponent. Mollaei represents Mongolia at the Tokyo Games.
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