Hamed Amiri

Reason: Para athletics coach Mostafa Bahrami encouraged him to try the sport. "After two years at home on the couch after my accident I wanted to prove that whatever situation I found myself in, I am an athlete and I don't give up on sport. Para athletics gave me hope and a new life." (farsnews.com, 10 Nov 2018; shamsehplus.ir, 26 Jul 2015; aflakvarzeshi.ir, 12 Jun 2015) Ambition: To win gold at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (kayhanvarzeshi.ir, 15 Dec 2023) Additional Info: RETIREMENT PLAN He intends to retire from competitive sport after the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. "I want to say goodbye to competitive sport after winning gold at Paris 2024 and return to my personal life. You may not believe it, but in the 40 years of my life, I have never tasted the pleasure of travelling because professional sports have been hard and stressful. After Paris 2024, my goal is to enter the coaching field in Para athletics. I am very interested in sports and nutrition, bodybuilding, and how to use supplements. I have good information and I am up to date. Right now [speaking in 2023], I am a bodybuilding coach and I plan to update myself technically by completing several courses." (kayhanvarzeshi.ir, 15 Dec 2023) TOKYO GOLD He was out of training for two-and-a-half months prior to the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo due to an arm injury. He went on to win gold in the F54 javelin throw at the Games. "My condition was so bad that I said I could no longer exercise. I was just looking for treatment and I did not have any exercise, and my bodybuilding was only elastic band exercise. Arriving in Tokyo, I said that in the first throw I would put everything I had, that if my hand was torn again, it would be my best performance and people would understand me." (iranpress.com, 05 Sep 2021; tehrantimes.com, 14 Jul 2021)