Olympic athletes speak out against Iran’s public execution of wrestling champion Saleh Mohammadi
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The execution of Iranian wrestling star Saleh Mohammadi left the sports world in mourning on Thursday.
The Iranian regime executed the 19-year-old on Thursday. According to reports from human rights activists and Iranian American dissidents, Mohammadi was killed in a public hanging.
Iran International reported that Iran’s regime hanged Mohammadi and two other Iranian men, Mehdi Ghasemiand and Saeed Davoudi, “after being accused of killing two police officers during nationwide protests earlier this year,” the judiciary-linked Mizan news agency reported.
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Several Olympic athletes have shared their reactions to the execution with News Digital.
Brandon Slay, Olympic gold medalist at Sydney 2000
Brandon Slay of the USA during the men’s 76 kilogram Greco-Roman wrestling semi-final in the exhibition halls during the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. (Ross Kinnaird/All Sports)
“As someone who twice traveled to Iran to fight and welcomed Iranian athletes to our country, I have seen firsthand the dignity and heart of the Iranian people. That is why it is so heartbreaking to witness a terrorist regime execute a teenage fighter,” Slay told News Digital.
“My prayers are with Saleh Mohammadi’s family and all who suffer. In the face of such oppression, I cling to the hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the only light that conquers the darkness and the only truth that proclaims justice and mercy will one day prevail.”
Tyler Clary, American swimmer, gold medalist at London 2012
American swimmer Tyler Clary celebrates winning gold in the men’s 200 meters backstroke final at the London 2012 Olympic Games on August 2, 2012, in London. (Christophe Simón/News)
“As an Olympic gold medalist, I have spent my life surrounded by athletes who represent the best of human discipline and freedom. What we are seeing in Iran (the execution of a wrestler after what appears to be a sham trial) is a brutal reminder of what that regime represents. This is exactly why strong leadership is important,” Clary told News Digital.
“President Trump has been clear about the nature of this regime and the need to confront it, and moments like this demonstrate why that approach is necessary.”
Kaillie Humphries, bobsled athlete with three gold medals for the USA and Canada
“The actions of the Iranian regime are beyond abhorrent. Murdering any teenager for the ‘crime’ of speaking out is unacceptable. Murdering a teenager who was targeted specifically because he is a champion athlete and icon of his country is even worse,” Humphries told News Digital.
“This is a sad day for the sports community. It highlights the absolutely unthinkable differences in freedom we have in the US as athletes to express our opinions. Yes, I may get some nasty comments on social media, but I don’t have to fear for my life. I pray there is justice for his family and freedom for his athletes.”
Eli Bremer, American modern pentathlete in Beijing 2008
Eli Bremer of the United States celebrates in the Fencing Hall during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 21, 2008, in Beijing, China. (Nick Laham/Getty Images)
“I am beyond disgusted by the actions of the Iranian regime today. Murdering an iconic teenage athlete shows how deeply depraved the Iranian leadership is. President Trump has done and continues to do the right thing to ensure this regime is destroyed. A regime that is willing to murder a teenage athlete is a regime that would be willing to murder Americans if given the opportunity,” Bremmer told News Digital.
“I will continue to support President Trump in taking the lead in disarming Iran and ensuring that the monsters that rule the country can never again commit these atrocities against its citizens, Americans, or our allies.”
Katie Uhlaender, American skeleton athlete, five-time Olympian
Katie Uhlaender of the United States poses for a portrait during the Beijing 2022 Team USA Olympic shoot in Irvine, California, on September 12, 2021. (Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Team USA)
“My heart breaks for this athlete and his family. What makes this more devastating is that there were clear and urgent calls for action,” Uhlaender told News Digital.
“These athletes did nothing wrong. They represented their sport and their country, and instead of being protected, they were exposed to a system that failed to act when it mattered most.
“The United States is uniquely positioned to lead on this issue. Through sports diplomacy and international engagement, we have the ability to set a higher standard, one where athlete safety is non-negotiable, where warnings are acted upon, and where governing bodies are held accountable for their failures to protect. Sports can serve as a symbol of integrity and unity. Action, not silence, must define our response going forward.”
STATE DEPARTMENT DEMANDS IRAN TO STOP EXECUTION OF 19-YEAR-OLD FIGHTING STAR
AJ Edelman, Israeli bobsled and skeleton athlete, two-time Olympian
Adam Edelman of Israel removes his helmet after a training session for the men’s skeleton during the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Winter Games at the Olympic Sliding Center on February 14, 2018. (Ohd Rasfan/News via Getty Images)
“He was hanged for imagining an Iran free from the depredations of a regime now headed by a powerless nepo baby whose father considered him so incompetent that he could not run a lemonade stand. His sacrifice is proof that such a cause was just,” Edelman told News Digital.
Sardar Pashaei, Iranian junior world champion wrestler (non-Olympic)
“This is just a glimpse of the brutality of the regime. A regime that kills its own people and now publicly executes a teenage athlete. For almost 50 years, some politicians have tried to moderate this regime. They still don’t understand it. We do. We have lived under it. We carry its scars,” Pashaei told News Digital.
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“Iranian sport is no longer in the hands of athletes. It is controlled by the Revolutionary Guard, the same forces that repress women, intimidate athletes abroad and threaten their families.
“Others are still at risk and there is still time to save them. The world must act now. Saleh’s only ‘crime’ was protest. He took to the streets for freedom, for a future where protest is not a crime, where executions do not exist and where people are not held hostage by their own government.”
News Digital’s Benjamin Weinthal contributed to this report.
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Jackson Thompson is a sports reporter for News Digital covering critical political and cultural issues in sports, with an investigative lens. Jackson’s reporting has been cited in federal government actions related to Title IX enforcement and in legacy media outlets, including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The News and ESPN.com.