Fatemeh Keshavarz, a member of the national weightlifting team, disappeared in Spain
The Iranian Weightlifting Federation says Fatemeh Keshavarz, a member of Iran’s national youth team, left the hotel where the team was staying during the world championships.
The 2024 World Youth Championships are being hosted in Spain. The Iranian Weightlifting Federation has reported that the 71 kg national athlete left the hotel and turned off her mobile phone.
In the city of León, Spain, in the 71 kg girls’ category, Fatemeh Keshavarz and Reyhaneh Karimi from Iran placed eighth and thirteenth in the world with records of 210 and 203 kilograms, respectively.
The Iranian Weightlifting Federation is unaware of Ms. Keshavarz’s current situation but has emphasized that the Iranian team officials are following up, and the matter has been reported to the Spanish police.
In the 2022 World Youth Championships, which were hosted by Greece, Yekta Jamali from the Iranian youth weightlifting team refused to return to Iran. She was part of the Refugee Olympic Team for the 2024 Paris Olympics.