Rouhani congratulates Iran’s first female Olympic medalist

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani extends his congratulation to taekwondo practitioner Kimia Alizadeh Zenoorin for becoming the first Iranian female Olympian after winning the bronze medal at the Rio 2016 Olympics Games.

“Kimia, my daughter, you made happy all Iranians, particularly women of the Iranian land. I wish everlasting happiness for you,” Rouhani said in tweet on Friday.
The 18-year-old Alizadeh won the bronze medal in the -57kg class of taekwondo competitions at the Rio Olympics on Thursday.

She beat Nikita Glasnovic of Sweden 5-1 on Thursday after winning her repechage match with Thailand’s Phannapa Harnsujin 14-10.

Alizadeh had lost 8-7 in the quarter-finals to Eva Calvo Gomez of Spain, but was handed a repechage place once the Spaniard made the final.

The Iranian medalist won the 2014 Youth Olympics, and last year took the bronze medal at the world championships, beating Jones in her matches.

Meanwhile, the United Nations mission in Iran also hailed Alizadeh’s victory in the Olympics games.

In a message, the UN mission congratulated Alizadeh for her big success, saying such a victory would pave the way for other Iranian female athletes to pursue their dreams in sports, IRNA reported.

The Iranian Olympians have so far won five medals in the Rio games.