Arash Miresmaeili

Arash Miresmāeli (Persian آراش میرسماعیلی [ ɒ ː mi ː raʃ ː i ː li ː resmɒ ]; born March 3, 1981 in Khorramabad ) is an Iranian judoka and two-time world champion in the light Lightweight ( to 66 kg).

Miresmāeli was already at the age of 15 years and a member of the Iranian Judo National Team. At the 2000 Olympics in Sydney he won in the semi- light weight 5th place

The following year he became world champion at the World Judo Championships in Munich. He was the first Iranian in history to win a world title. His title he successfully defended at the World Championships in Osaka in 2003.

At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens Miresmāeli caused a political scandal when he said he would not compete against the Israeli judoka Ehud Vaks to express in this way his sympathy for the Palestinian people.

This statement in advance of the Games was met with heavy criticism. Miresmāeli was able to take during the opening ceremony at the invasion of the athletes, the Iranian Olympic team as a standard-bearer. On August 14, 2004 boycott threat Miresmaeli pulled his back. However, he was not admitted to the competition after the official weigh-in, he exceeded the weight limit of 66 kg on August 15.

The spokesperson of the World Judo Federation Michel Brousse expressed surprise that " things, a sportsman 's class Miresmāeli for weighing competes with obesity ."