Fatemeh Keshavarz, a member of Iran’s national weightlifting team, disappeared in Spain.
The Iranian Weightlifting Federation states that 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 currently being held in Spain. The Iranian Weightlifting Federation has reported that the 71 kg national team member from Iran 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 ranked 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 on the matter and have reported it to the Spanish police.
In the 2022 World Youth Championships held in Greece, Yekta Jamali from Iran’s youth weightlifting team also refused to return to Iran. She was a member of the International Olympic Committee’s refugee team at the 2024 Paris Olympics.