Hadi Saei
Iran's most successful Olympian, gold in two weight classes
- Born
- June 10, 1976, Tehran, Iran
- Nationality
Iran- Height
- 182 cm (6′0″)
- Style
- Composed late scorer
- Weight
- 68 kg, 72 kg, 80 kg
- Active
- 1995–2008
- Status
- Retired · age 50
The medals
2 Olympic golds + bronze; 2 world titles, 4 world medals
The story
adi Saei started taekwondo at six and became the most successful Iranian in Olympic history. After a bronze at the sport's Olympic debut in Sydney, he beat Chinese Taipei's Huang Chih-hsiung 4-3 for the 68 kg gold in Athens. Four years later he moved up to 80 kg and won again in Beijing, scoring twice in the final round to beat Italy's Mauro Sarmiento 6-4, even though he had fractured his right hand in his first bout. Between Olympics he won world titles at 72 kg in 1999 and 2005 and four World Cups. After the 2003 earthquake in Bam he put his medals up for auction to help the victims. He retired in 2008, sat on Tehran's city council and led Iran's taekwondo federation from 2022 to 2026.
- Olympic champion, 68 kg (2004) and 80 kg (2008)
- Olympic bronze, 68 kg (2000)
- World champion, 72 kg (1999, 2005)
- World Cup champion (1998, 2000, 2001, 2002)
- Asian Games champion (2002)
- Iran's flag bearer at the Athens 2004 closing ceremony
- President of the Iran Taekwondo Federation (2022–2026)
Defining matches
- 1999WINvs Kim Byung-uk (World Championships 72 kg final, Edmonton, 4-1)
- 2000LOSSvs Sin Joon-sik (Sydney Olympic 68 kg semi-final, 3-5; won bronze)
- 2001LOSSvs Steven López (World Championships 72 kg quarter-final, Jeju, 3-4)
- 2004WINvs Huang Chih-hsiung (Athens Olympic 68 kg final, 4-3)
- 2008WINvs Mauro Sarmiento (Beijing Olympic 80 kg final, 6-4, two scores in the last round)
Plan for round three: Saei won his 2008 Olympic final with two scores in the last round, so keep something in reserve and drill combinations you can still land when tired. Close fights go to whoever has a clean scoring kick left at the end.
2014–now
1985–2004
