Paris 2024 Paralympic Games | Sitting volleyball: Islamic Republic of Iran wins gold medal, its eighth Paralympic title in the discipline
Facing its greatest rival, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Islamic Republic of Iran claimed its eighth Paralympic title. Since its first Games in 1988, the Middle Eastern country has always won a medal, either gold or silver.
The harvest continues. Just like in 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2008, 2016, and 2021, the Islamic Republic of Iran wins the Paralympic title in Sitting volleyball. An undisputed dominance in the discipline, which even the Bosnians could not stop, this Friday, September 6, at the North Paris Arena.
The Strong Bosnian Start...
Yet, it was Bosnia that scored the first point of the match, a rematch of the last Paralympic final. But soon, the Iranian machine kicked into gear, taking control (5-1). Then, the rallies lengthened, and the match became more balanced. Despite Morteza Mehrzad's powerful spikes, Bosnia and Herzegovina remained strong with their blocking. At the very end of the set, the Balkan team took the lead at 22-21 and won the first set (25-22).
An Epic Second Set
The second set was equally intense. Once again, the Iranians had the better start, quickly taking the lead (5-0). But the game balanced out again as the points progressed. The anticipated high-stakes duel was fully underway. On the Iranian side, the unstoppable Morteza Mehrzad made his presence felt. The 2.46-meter-tall player dominated both in attack and defense. His time on the bench had a noticeable impact, and it was during those moments that the Bosnians closed the gap. As neither team managed to pull ahead, they had to go beyond 25 points. With two powerful attacks, the Iranians claimed the second set (30-28), taking control of the match.
The Islamic Republic of Iran in Full Control
In front of 4,000 spectators at the North Paris Arena, the Iranian team showcased all its strengths. Almost unbeatable for 36 years, they maintained their dominance at the start of the competition. To reach this point, they thoroughly dominated Group B, not losing a single set against Ukraine, Brazil, and Germany. In the semi-final, Egypt managed to take one set from them, but the rest of the match was one-sided (25-14, 25-15, 20-25, 25-8). The match was settled in less than an hour and a quarter.
A bit more was needed to defeat Bosnia and Herzegovina in the final. But in the last two sets, Iran's winning points kept piling up, and Bosnia's defense, so effective at the start, began to falter. In attack, Bosnia could no longer bypass the block, which returned their shots with equal force. Iran surged ahead and claimed the last two sets (25-16, 25-14).
On the bench watching the match point, Morteza Mehrzad quickly rushes to join his teammates to celebrate this new gold medal with them. The trophies may come and go, but the joy remains the same. Untouched. Just like on the first day.
Egypt takes Bronze, France finishes last
Earlier in the day, Egypt secured the bronze medal after a hard-fought battle against Germany (25-22, 23-25, 25-23, 23-25, 15-10). The French team, on the other hand, continues its learning process following another heavy defeat (3-0) against Ukraine. Les Bleus finished last in the competition.