Hamid Sourian
Six world titles and a gut wrench to fear
- Born
- August 24, 1985, Rey, Tehran Province, Iran
- Nationality
Iran- Height
- 167 cm (5′6″)
- Style
- Gut-wrench specialist
- Weight
- 55 kg, 59 kg
- Active
- 2005–2016
- Status
- Retired · age 41
The medals
Olympic gold; 6 world titles
The story
amid Sourian, born in Rey in Tehran Province, won the junior and senior world titles in the same year, 2005, then added senior world golds in 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010 at 55 kg and a sixth in 2014 at 59 kg. Beijing 2008 was a rare setback: he lost his quarter-final to eventual champion Nazyr Mankiev and then the bronze-medal match, both on tie-break criteria. Four years later in London he beat Azerbaijan's Rovshan Bayramov in the final to win Iran's first ever Olympic gold in Greco-Roman wrestling. Analysts singled out his gut wrench as one of the best in the world, a lock so tight that a single turn could erase a deficit, which forced opponents to change how they wrestled him on their feet. His last Olympics was Rio 2016.
- Olympic champion, 55 kg (2012)
- World champion (2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2014)
- Junior world champion (2005)
- Asian champion (2007, 2008)
- Iran Sportsperson of the Year (2007)
Defining matches
- 2008LOSSvs Nazyr Mankiev (Olympic quarter-final, lost on criteria)
- 2008LOSSvs Park Eun-chul (Olympic bronze match, lost on criteria)
- 2012WINvs Rovshan Bayramov (Olympic final; Iran's first Greco-Roman Olympic gold)
- 2014World title Tashkent (sixth world title, at 59 kg)
Make your gut wrench a real threat: lock tight around the waist, keep your chest glued to his back and turn by driving your hips through. A gut wrench opponents fear makes them wrestle cautiously on their feet, as Sourian's did.
1998–2012
