#OlympicChannel

Olympic Channel: Iran's 'Greatest' Hassan Yazdani Seeks Wrestling Immortality

Thursday, June 25, 2020 - 12:35 By Andrew Binner

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Hassan YAZDANI, a 25-year-old native of Jouybar, is already a national hero in Iran. He's claimed gold at the Rio Olympic Games and has a pair of world titles on his resume. In an article published on the Olympic Channel, Andrew Binner broke down the career of "The Greatest" and looked at his path to a potential second Olympic title.

"Freestyle wrestling is Iran’s national sport, so when Hassan Yazdani pinned down the 74kg gold medal at the Rio 2016 Olympics, he became an instant national hero.

He moved up to 86kg, which better suited his growing frame, taking out the world championships gold medal at his new weight division in 2017 and 2019.

Yazdani became known as The Greatest and Fearless back home, while his Instagram account swelled to over 500K followers. Quite simply, he could walk the streets of Iran like he was The King… which is incidentally another one of his nicknames there.

“The truth is that I hope I am worthy of these nicknames,” he told Tehran Times. “Each one is valuable for me and so I hope I can live up to the nicknames and the expectations of my great fans. I always want to keep their hope, so I accept them all and just hope that I am worthy.”

Read more on the Olympic Channel's site ... here

#development

Learn, Wrestle, Use youth camp organized in Croatia

Tuesday, May 6, 2025 - 11:29 By United World Wrestling Press

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POREC, Croatia (May 6) -- The Croatian Wrestling Federation, in cooperation with United World Wrestling and the Croatian School Sports Federation, successfully organized an international youth wrestling camp titled “Learn, Wrestle, Use”, held from April 14 to 19, 2025, in the renowned wrestling hub of sunny Porec.

The camp brought together 300 young athletes from four European countries -- Croatia, Czech Republic, Austria, and Germany -- in the U13, U15 and U17 age groups. In addition to intensive wrestling training, the camp included targeted educational sessions of learning English, proper nutrition, and digital safety, particularly regarding responsible behavior on social media.

This innovative project stands out for its integrated approach, combining athletic preparation with personal development. Through a balance of physical training and structured education, “Learn, Wrestle, Use” supports the holistic — both physical and psychological — development of young athletes. It encourages not only sporting excellence, but also intercultural exchange, communication skills, and lifelong healthy habits.

The camp was led by a team of distinguished Croatian coaches: Hrvoje SAVUK (U13 Boys Group), Eugen JAKOVLJEVIC, head coach of the Croatian U15 boys national team (U15 & U17 Boys Groups), and Women’s Wrestling national team coaches Dinko KREMIC and Nenad GREZINA (Girls Group). A total of 30 experienced coaches participated in the delivery of the training and educational components.

This international initiative is a strong example of how youth sport can go beyond competition — creating space for learning, connection, and empowerment across borders.