Mohammad Alirezaei
Encyclopedia
Mohammad Alirezaei Dizicheh is an Iran
ian breaststroke
swimmer.
By qualifying for the 2008 Summer Olympics
, Alirezaei became the first Iran
ian ever to qualify for an Olympic swimming event without using wildcard. However, according to team officials, Alirezaei fell ill before his event, and was taken to a hospital in Beijing. Several other media reports stated Alirezaei had been ordered by Iranian authorities to withdraw from the competition to avoid swimming against Israel
i swimmer Tom Be'eri
.
Giselle Davies, director of communications for the IOC, stated that Alirezaei had confirmed in writing that he withdrew from the men's 100 metre breaststroke because of illness and that the committee would take Alirezaei at his word. Iran could have faced sanctions had the IOC decided that Alirezaei pulled out of the race because an Israeli was scheduled to compete. Giselle Davies, director of communications for the IOC, said that Alirezaei withdrew because of sickness and submitted his case in writing to his Federation. Davies stated that "We take both the athlete and the [Iranian] National Olympic Committee at their word on this."
Alirezaei also withdrew from the 100 metre breaststroke at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships
after he was put in the same heat with Israeli swimmer Gal Nevo
.
Alirezaei's withdrawal has been compared to a similar incident at the 2004 Athens Games involving Iranian Judo champion Arash Miresmaeili.
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian breaststroke
Breaststroke
The breaststroke is a swimming style in which the swimmer is on his or her chest and the torso does not rotate. It is the most popular recreational style due to its stability and the ability to keep the head out of the water a large portion of the time. In most swimming classes, beginners learn...
swimmer.
By qualifying for the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
, Alirezaei became the first Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian ever to qualify for an Olympic swimming event without using wildcard. However, according to team officials, Alirezaei fell ill before his event, and was taken to a hospital in Beijing. Several other media reports stated Alirezaei had been ordered by Iranian authorities to withdraw from the competition to avoid swimming against Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i swimmer Tom Be'eri
Tom Be'eri
Tom Beeri is an Israeli swimmer who represented Israel at the 2008 Summer Olympics.-Biography:He is Jewish.He competed on behalf of Israel at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.-References:...
.
Giselle Davies, director of communications for the IOC, stated that Alirezaei had confirmed in writing that he withdrew from the men's 100 metre breaststroke because of illness and that the committee would take Alirezaei at his word. Iran could have faced sanctions had the IOC decided that Alirezaei pulled out of the race because an Israeli was scheduled to compete. Giselle Davies, director of communications for the IOC, said that Alirezaei withdrew because of sickness and submitted his case in writing to his Federation. Davies stated that "We take both the athlete and the [Iranian] National Olympic Committee at their word on this."
Alirezaei also withdrew from the 100 metre breaststroke at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships
2011 World Aquatics Championships
The 14th FINA World Championships were held at July 16–31, 2011 in Shanghai, China at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center. The 2011 World Championships featured five aquatics disciplines: swimming, water polo, diving, open water, and synchronised swimming...
after he was put in the same heat with Israeli swimmer Gal Nevo
Gal Nevo
Gal Nevo is an Israeli swimmer who holds three Israeli records in the 200m IM, 400m IM and 200m butterfly. He represented Israel at the 2008 Summer Olympics.-Biography:Nevo is Jewish....
.
Alirezaei's withdrawal has been compared to a similar incident at the 2004 Athens Games involving Iranian Judo champion Arash Miresmaeili.