1968 Olympic gold medalist and a veteran Iranian wrestler, Abdollah Movahed, has passed away on April 30 in Fairfax, Virginia, at the age of 86.

On May 1, “unitedworldwrestling” shared the news on its Instagram handle. The post reads, “Today, the wrestling community lost a pioneer in Abdullah Movahed. He passed away at 86 years of age.”

The wrestler died of a heart attack, and he had been living in the United States for several years. 

The post continues, “Movahed had one of the most dominant runs the sport has ever seen. He won a trio of world titles in 1965, ‘66, ‘67, then won Olympic gold in ‘68, before winning back-to-back world titles in ‘69 and ‘70.” 

During his career, the champion won multiple medals. He won a total of 8 gold medals between 1965 and 1970. 

In 1971, Movahed participated in his last international competition, held in Sofia, where he finished fourth. The freestyle wrestler last competed in the 1972 Munich Olympics, after which he decided to retire from the sport. 

According to Asianet News, Esmaeil Baghaei, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, shared a heartfelt message on X. He wrote, “The passing of Abdullah Movahed, the wrestling legend with five world golds and one Olympic gold, recalls a distinctive feature of Iranian civilization and culture; in Iran, what endures is not just championship, but heroism. 

Moheyd will remain fondly in the collective memory of Iranians not only for his medals but for his patriotic zeal, even when he was abroad. I extend my condolences on his passing to the sports community and the people of Iran.”

Though the wrestling community suffered a setback, it was also important to appreciate what the wrestler has accomplished over the years. 

Achievements of Abdollah Movahed

Movahed dominated the 150-pound and 172-pound divisions during his prime.

He is also the winner of 8 gold medals in competitions like:

• Olympic: 1 medal in 1968
• World Championship:  5 medals in 1965, 1966, 1967, 1969, and 1970
• Asian Games: 2 medals in 1966 and 1970

He dominated the sport in the late 60s and early 70s. At the 1972 Summer Olympics, Movahed tried his luck to win one more medal, but his dream was shattered by a shoulder injury. He then moved away from the mat, joined George Washington University, and pursued a PhD.

The entire wrestling community had suffered a blow upon hearing the tragic news, but now everybody must celebrate his accomplishments and his contributions to the sport, helping make freestyle wrestling an art.

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Written by

Supradeep Dutta

Edited by

Ashvinkumar Patil