Hadi Saei

Hadi Saei
Saei in 2024
Member of City Council of Tehran
In office
29 April 2007 – 22 August 2017
Personal details
Born
Hadi Saei Bonehkohal

(1976-06-10) June 10, 1976
Bostan Abad, Iran
Political partyIndependent
Other political
affiliations
Reformists Coalition (2006)
Alma materIslamic Azad University
Sports career
Country Iran
SportTaekwondo
Medal record
Olympic Games
2004 Athens 68 kg
2008 Beijing 80 kg
2000 Sydney 68 kg
World Championships
1999 Edmonton 72 kg
2005 Madrid 72 kg
2003 Garmisch-Partenkirchen 72 kg
2007 Beijing 72 kg
Asian Games
2002 Busan 72 kg
2006 Doha 72 kg
Asian Championships
2006 Bangkok 72 kg
2002 Amman 72 kg
West Asian Games
1997 Tehran 70 kg

Hadi Saei (born June 10, 1976) is a former Iranian taekwondo athlete and a Tehran city councilor. He is the most successful Iranian athlete in Olympic history and one of the top champions in taekwondo, with 9 major titles.[1] These include three Olympic medals (gold in 2004 and 2008, bronze in 2000), two world championship titles, four world cup titles, and one world Olympic qualification tournament win.

He is one of the top three medalists in the history of Olympic taekwondo.[2] Saei was elected to Tehran's City Council in 2006 and re-elected in 2013 but lost his seat in 2017.

Career

Hadi Saei started practicing Taekwondo at the age of six. He competed in the Lightweight category (67–72 kg) and became the 1999 World Champion and the 2003 World Championship silver medalist. After the 2003 earthquake in Bam, Iran, Saei auctioned his medals to help the victims.

He won the Taekwondo World Championship twice and is currently a senior student at Iran Physical Education University. Saei officially retired from Taekwondo on November 8, 2008.[3]

Personal life

Hadi Saei faced great personal loss, losing his father and brother in the same year, followed by the death of his younger brother from cancer the next year.

He is originally from Bostanabad city in East Azerbaijan Province and is of Iranian Azerbaijani heritage.[4]

References

  1. "Hadi Saei: Taekwondo Legend and Olympic Champion". 2024-10-04. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  2. "ISNA - 11-08-2008 - 87/8/18 - سرويس: / قهرماني - همگاني / شماره خبر: 1231191". 2011-07-22. Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2025-01-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  3. "Hadi Saei Bio, Stats, and Results | Olympics at Sports-Reference.com". 2016-12-03. Archived from the original on 2011-01-07. Retrieved 2025-01-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  4. "هادي ساعي مدال خود را تقديم به مردم آذربايجان كرد". 2008-08-27. Archived from the original on 2008-08-27. Retrieved 2025-01-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)

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