Seven former Olympians from the United States, Poland, Argentina and elsewhere have criticised the International Olympic Committee's response to the execution of 19-year-old Iranian freestyle wrestler Saleh Mohammadi.

Mohammadi was executed by public hanging on November 28, 2024, along with Mehdi Hosseini, 24, and Mohammad Boris, 28. They had been convicted of killing Basij paramilitary members during Iran's 2022 "Woman, Life, Freedom" protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, according to Iran's judiciary news agency Mizan and Iran International.[1][2]

Mohammadi had won a national bronze medal for Iran in freestyle wrestling at a tournament in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, in September 2024. In a state television interview, he said his dream was to become an Olympic champion.[3]

The IOC issued a statement noting the difficulty of commenting on individual cases amid conflicting reports in a sovereign country, adding that as a non-governmental organisation it lacked the remit to change national laws or political systems.[3]

The IOC told Fox News Digital it stood by the statement.

The critics included U.S. swimming gold medallists Nancy Hogshead-Makar (three golds, Los Angeles 1984) and Tyler Clary (200m backstroke gold, London 2012), U.S. shooter Keith Sanderson (trap silver, London 2012), U.S. skeleton athlete Katie Uhlaender, Argentine luger Ruben Gonzalez, U.S. modern pentathlete Eli Bremer and Polish pentathlete Maciej Czyzowicz.[3][4][5]

Hogshead-Makar said she was "flabbergasted" the IOC did not denounce the execution, calling it "the right thing" rather than political. Clary described the statement as "corporate damage control" lacking moral leadership.[3]

Czyzowicz called for Iran to be banned from the Olympics, while Sanderson accused the IOC of corruption and failing to condemn the act. Gonzalez labelled the response shameful, Uhlaender cited past IOC inaction on issues like doping, and Bremer said it confirmed the IOC's moral failings.[3]

Sources

1. Iran International. "Regime Hangs Three Over Killing Of Basij Members During ‘Woman Life Freedom’ Uprising". November 28, 2024. https://www.iranintl.com/en/202411282128
2. Mizan Online. "سه مجرم را به اتمام قتل عضو بسیج به دار انداختند" (Three criminals hanged for killing Basij member). November 28, 2024. https://www.mizanonline.ir/fa/news/4840403
3. Fox News Digital. "Seven Olympians rip IOC for its response to execution of Iranian teen wrestler". November 30, 2024. https://www.foxnews.com/sports/seven-olympians-rip-ioc-response-execution-iranian-teen-wrestler
4. Olympics.com. "Tyler Clary". Accessed December 1, 2024. https://olympics.com/en/athletes/tyler-clary
5. Olympics.com. "Nancy Hogshead-Makar". Accessed December 1, 2024. https://olympics.com/en/athletes/nancy-hogshead-makar