Iranian president honors Iran’s Olympic medalists

TEHRAN,Aug.27(MNA) – President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad paid tribute to the Iranian athletes who won the medals at the London 2012 Olympic Games. At a ceremony held to honor Olympic medal winners at the Ministry of Interior in Tehran on Saturday night, Ahmadinejad said, “We finished in 17th place on the medal table of the 2012 Olympic Games and now we want to be among the 10 best countries in the upcoming Olympics in Rio. Also, we must finish second in the 2014 Asian Games,” he said. Iran participated in the 2012 Olympic Games with 53 athletes and won four gold, five silver and three bronze medals. Greco-Roman wrestlers Hamid Sourian, Omid Noroozi and Ghasem Rezaei and super heavyweight weightlifter Behdad Salimi won the gold medals. Discus thrower Ehsan Hadadi, weightlifters Navab Nasirshelal and Sajjad Anoushirvani, freestyle wrestler Sadegh Goudarzi and taekwondo player Mohammad Bagheri Motamed won the silver medals. Freestyle wrestler Komei Ghasemi and Ehsan Lashgari and weightlifter Kianoush Rostami earned the bronze medals. “Iran must compete in the next Olympics with 250 participants and win more medals,” Ahmadinejad added.