Iranian judo champ won't fight Israeli
By FRANKIE SACHS
Iran's Arash Miresmaeli, top, and Israel's Ariel Zeevi, bottom, carry the flags of their countries during the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games
Photo: AP
Iranian President Mohammad Khatami praised Iranian judo world champion Arash Miresmaeili on Sunday for refusing to compete against his Israeli rival in the Olympic judo tournament.
"The move by the Iranian world judo champion in protest to the massacre of Palestinian people by the Zionist regime will be recorded in the history of Iranian glories," Khatami said, as reported by the Islamic Republic News Agency.
Reigning judo world champion Arash Miresmaeili of Iran was scheduled to face Israeli judoka Udi Vaks Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. in the under-66 kg division.
When weighed prior to the match, Miresmaeili weighed in at above the maximum of 66 kg, disqualifying him from the round.
IRNA quoted Miresmaeili's explanation for forfeiting the match: "Even though I trained for months, and even though I am in good shape, I refused to compete against the Israeli opponent in order to express my sympathy with the suffering of the Palestinian people."
"I do not regret my decision," he added.
Israeli athletes suspected Miresmaeili stuffed himself with food before he was weighed to intentionally disqualify him from facing his Israeli opponent, Army Radio reported.
Vaks won the round on technicality, and he will compete later Sunday against an Egyptian or Algerian opponent instead.
Miresmaeili, two-time winner of the World Judo Championships, finished fifth in the Sydney Olympic games four years ago. Yesterday he carried the Iranian flag in the opening ceremony of the 2004 Olympics.
Although the incidents have been infrequent over the years, every time an Israeli and an Iranian have been pitted against each other, the Iranian has backed out, claiming injury or illness.
Also Sunday in the Olympics, former Olympic medalist Gal Friedman and world champion Lee Korsitz will begin competing in the Mistral windsailing events. Another Israeli will get wet in the pool as Anna Gostomelsky swims in the 100-meter backstroke qualifiers. Michal Feinblatt enters the women's under-52 kg judo competition.
Table tennis player Marina Kravchenko and 470 class windsurfers Vered Bouskila & Nike Kornecki and Udi Gal & Gidi Kliger continue their participation.
If Miresmaeili fails to show, it would not be the first time Israeli athletes have been awarded technical wins over opponents who refuse to recognize the Jewish state, but it would be the first time it happened on such a grand stage.
Miresmaeili, who was the Iranian flag bearer at the opening ceremonies on Friday night, will not be allowed to continue in the consolation round of the competition in hopes of a bronze medal if he forfeits the bout.
According to the Islamic Republic News Agency, Miresmaeili said that he "refused to play against an Israeli rival to sympathize with the oppressed Palestinian people."
Yesterday, Reuters reported that Iran's Olympic team chief, Nassrollah Sajadi, has urged the Iranian Olympic Committee to reward Miresmaeili with $115,000 for forfeiting, which is the prize he would have received if he had won the gold medal.
The Israeli team has refused to comment on the topic, claiming that they arrived in Athens to "to participate in sports and not in politics."
Ironically, if Vaks does automatically advance to the second round, his opponent will be either Algerian Amar Meridja or Egypt's Amin Mohamed.
Amid much less fanfare, Feinblatt, who has a bye in the first round, will start her day against the winner of the preliminary bout between Potugal's Telma Montiero and M Mah Soumah of Guinea.
Gostomelsky will start Israel's day in the swimming pool, where she is slated to begin in Lane 6 of Heat 3 at 10:06 a.m. Her goal will likely be to improve on her Israeli record time of 1:03.05, since she does not have a realistic chance of reaching the semifinals. 19 of the 43 swimmers entered in the 100m backstroke have entry times of less than 1:02.00.
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