News / Sports

Salimi’s late head kick snatches Asian Taekwondo gold as Iran bags two medals

Thursday, 21 May 2026 11:24 AM [ Last Update: Thursday, 21 May 2026 11:24 AM ]

Arian Salimi won an Asian taekwondo gold medal on May 21, 2026.

Iranian taekwondo athletes secured two spots on the podium on Thursday, taking home a gold and a silver medal at the Asian Taekwondo Championships in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Reigning Olympic champion Arian Salimi led the Iranian delegation by capturing the gold medal in the men's heavyweight (+87kg) division. The 17-competitor bracket saw Salimi display dominant form early on, defeating Kyrgyzstan's Alisker Abdulrakhmanov and Malaysia's Luqman Mahmoud in his opening bouts.

Salimi then punched his ticket to the final with a commanding 2-0 round victory over the reigning world champion from South Korea in the semifinals.

The gold medal match pitted Salimi against Uzbekistan’s Marat Mavlonov in a highly competitive fixture. With the match tied at 1-1 in rounds and only two seconds remaining on the clock in the deciding round, Salimi executed a dramatic head kick to snatch a 2-1 victory.

🥋🥇Salimi wins Asian gold in nail-biting finish

Arian Salimi defeated his Uzbek opponent in +84kg final at the Asian Taekwondo Championships to bag gold

Result:

1st round: 7-7 — Uzbek (criteria)
2nd round: 6-3 — Salimi
3rd round: 12-10 — Salimi@presstvsports pic.twitter.com/8nkgS7XhoI
— Press TV Sports (@presstvsports) May 21, 2026

Following the final whistle, the Olympic champion performed a traditional prayer of gratitude on the mat before waving the Iranian flag during a celebratory lap.

🥋🥇 Arian Salimi's victory lap and prostration of gratitude after winning the Asian Taekwondo championships gold in Mongolia on Thursday. @presstvsports pic.twitter.com/LB6W3sroSy
— Press TV Sports (@presstvsports) May 21, 2026

Earlier in the day, Yasin Valizadeh added to Iran's medal tally by securing a silver medal in the highly competitive men's flyweight (-54kg) category. Valizadeh navigated through a massive field of 46 fighters to reach the final round.

Valizadeh secured his spot in the final by defeating Uzbekistan’s Jakhongir Khudayberdiev 2-0 in the semifinals. He ultimately fell short in the final bout against his opponent, walking away with a silver medal.

The regional tournament kicked off this week, drawing more than 1,300 competitors from 43 countries. Beyond continental glory, athletes in the sparring categories are fighting for high Olympic ranking points and top-seven finishes to qualify for the upcoming Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk

BREAKING NEWS

Salimi’s late head kick snatches Asian Taekwondo gold as Iran bags two medals

FIFA to prohibit Iran's former US-backed regime's flag at 2026 World Cup venues: Report

Ghalenoei's 2026 World Cup squad blends experience and youth to break Iran's knockout jinx

Iran's Yousefi claims gold after setting world record at Asian Weightlifting Championships

Gaza reports over 125,000 cases of rat- and parasite-linked infections: UNRWA1hr