Iranian kurash athlete Vahid Barimanlou secured gold at the 2026 Asian Games on Tuesday, delivering Iran’s ninth gold medal at the competition.
Barimanlou defeated Tajikistan’s Yosin Bobokalonov 1-0 in the men’s -66kg final. The Iranian athlete maintained his composure throughout the decisive bout and secured a narrow victory.
His gold medal added another success to Iran’s growing medal tally at the Games. The result also strengthened Iran’s performance in kurash, one of the combat sports featured at the Asian Games.
Kyrgyzstan’s Kubanychbek Aibek Uulu and Tajikistan’s Sarvar Abdushukurov completed the podium. Both athletes received bronze medals following their respective performances in the men’s -66kg category.
Iran also secured another kurash medal in the women’s competition. Fatemeh Barmaki claimed bronze in the women’s +87kg category.
Barmaki lost to Liu Li-ling Shih of Chinese Taipei in her bout. Despite missing out on the final, she secured a place on the podium and added another medal to Iran’s tally.
Barimanlou’s victory marked Iran’s ninth gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games. Iranian athletes have continued to collect medals across several sports during the competition.
Kurash is being held from September 27 to 29 at the Aichi Budokan. The venue is hosting athletes competing across multiple weight categories during the three-day event.
With Barimanlou’s victory, Iran added another combat-sports gold to its Asian Games campaign. The result highlights the country’s continued medal success in individual events.