Hadi Saei

Medal record
Hadi Saei
Competitor for Iran
Men’s Taekwondo
Olympic Games
Gold	2004 Athens	68 kg
Gold	2008 Beijing	80 kg
Bronze	2000 Sydney	68 kg
World Championships
Gold	1999 Edmonton	72 kg
Gold	2005 Madrid	72 kg
Silver	2003 Garmisch-Partenkirchen	72 kg
Bronze	2007 Beijing	72 kg
Asian Games
Gold	2002 Busan	72 kg
Bronze	2006 Doha	72 kg
Asian Championships
Gold	2006 Bangkok	72 kg
Silver	2002 Amman	72 kg
West Asian Games
Gold	1997 Tehran	70 kg

Hadi Saei Bonehkohal (Persian: هادی ساعی بنه كُهل , born June 10, 1976 in Rey, Iran) is a former Iranian Taekwondo athlete who became the most successful Iranian athlete in Olympic history after winning gold in the 2008 Summer Olympics. He competed in the Men's 68 kg (featherweight) at the 2004 Summer Olympics and won the gold medal. In addition, he competed in the Men's 80 kg at the 2008 Summer Olympics and won his second olympic gold. Earlier in his career and in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Saei had won the bronze medal. He was elected as member of City Council of Tehran in 2006 local election. On 24 July 2011, he was elected as chairman of the Nassaji Mazandaran FC.

Career

He has been practicing Tae Kwon Do since he was six years old. Having previously competed in Lightweight (67–72 kg), he is the 1999 World Champion and 2003 World Championship silver medallist. When the Iranian town of Bam was devastated in the 2003 earthquake, Saei put his medals on auction to raise money for the victims.

He has been World Champion in the Tae Kwon Do World Championships two times. Currently, he is a senior at the Iran Physical Education University.

Saei officially ended his career as a Tae Kwon Do athlete on November 8, 2008 (18 Aban 1387).

2008 Summer Olympics

In the first match against the Nepalese Deepak Bista his right hand was fractured during the fight however he did not indicate his injury throughout the entire competition despite enormous pain until he won the final against the Italian Mauro Sarmiento. Immediately after winning the Gold medal his hand was in plaster cast. Previously he wanted to say farewell after winning in the final, but his coach Reza Mehmandoust has advised him not to do it.

By winning his gold medal, Saei ensured that Iran was leaving Beijing with a better result than their poor showing at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, where they bagged only one bronze medal. Full results of Iran's medals in the history of the Summer Olympic games can be found in the 'Medal tables' in Iran at the Olympics.

Titles

• 1995 World Military Taekwondo Championships SILVER
• 1996 World Military Taekwondo Championships BRONZE
• 1998 World Taekwondo Cup GOLD
• 1999 World Taekwondo Championships GOLD
• 2000 World Taekwondo Cup GOLD
• 2000 Sydney Olympic Games BRONZE
• 2001 World Taekwondo Cup GOLD
• 2002 Asian Taekwondo Championships SILVER
• 2002 World Taekwondo Cup GOLD
• 2002 Busan Asian Games GOLD
• 2003 World Taekwondo Championships SILVER
• 2004 Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament GOLD
• 2004 Athens Olympic Games GOLD
• 2005 World Taekwondo Championship GOLD
• 2006 Asian Taekwondo Championships GOLD
• 2006 Doha Asian Games BRONZE
• 2007 World Taekwondo Championship BRONZE
• 2008 Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament GOLD
• 2008 Beijing Olympic Games GOLD

Personal life

He has suffered great personal tragedy, having lost his brother and father in the same year, and the death of his younger brother, who succumbed to cancer the following year.

See also

• Iranian City and Village Councils elections, 2006

External links

• Hadi Saei official Web Site
• World Tae Kwon Do Online Magazine
• Tae Kwon Do players (Tae Kwon Do fan site)
• Tae Kwon Do Club / Kauno Taekwondo Klubas
• Saei's Final Match in Beijing 2008 Olympic
• Photos of the farewell ceremony

References

• (Persian) Biography

Awards
Preceded by Hossein Rezazadeh	Iran Sportsperson of the year 2004	Succeeded by Hossein Rezazadeh