By Farrokh Hesabi

Iranian rowers set to make history at Paris Olympics

July 23, 2024 - 11:39

TEHRAN - Iranian rowing team are set to make a splash at the Paris Olympics with a team of five athletes, including two women, who will make history as the first to compete in the double sculls event.

This year's Games will mark the first time that Iran has sent five rowers to the Olympics, and it is also the first time that women have won a place in the double sculls event. Mahsa Javar and Zeynab Norouzi secured their spot at the World Rowing Asian and Oceanian Olympic and Paralympic Qualification Regatta in Chungju, South Korea.

Ali Aghamirzaei will be competing in the men's single kayak for the second time, having previously represented Iran at the Tokyo Olympics. He is determined to improve on his performance in Tokyo after a difficult period battling a hand injury.

Mohammad Nabi Rezaei is another promising athlete who will be making his Olympic debut in the canoe event. He has set his sights on reaching the A Final, which he believes would be a significant achievement.

Fatemeh Mojallal is the rising star of Iranian rowing. She has earned a place in the women's single sculls event and will have big shoes to fill in the absence of Nazanin Malaei, who achieved Iran's best-ever rowing result at the Tokyo Olympics by reaching the B Final. Malaei had been expected to compete in her second Olympics and potentially even improve on her performance, but she shocked the rowing community by announcing her retirement from the sport earlier this year.

Despite Malaei's absence, Mojallal has shown impressive form in recent competitions, including the Asian Championships and the Olympic qualifiers. She is confident that she can achieve a result in Paris that is on par with, or even better than, Malaei's.

In addition to her rowing prowess, Mojallal will also have the honor of carrying Iran flag at the closing ceremony of the 2024 Olympics. This is a significant moment for Iranian rowing, as it will be the first time that a rower has been given this honor since Homa Hosseini at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

Iranian rowing is on the rise, and the team is determined to make a strong showing at the Paris Olympics. With a talented group of athletes and a strong support team, they have the potential to achieve great things and bring home medals for Iran.