Amin Mirzazadeh defeated Rafael Tsitsishvili from Uzbekistan with a score of 3 to 1 in the final of the 130 kg Greco-Roman wrestling at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, registering the eleventh gold medal for Iran's delegation. This victory moved Iran to sixth place in the ranking table.
Increase in Medals and Change in Iran's Rank
Before this gold, Iran was in seventh place with 10 gold, 16 silver, and 11 bronze medals. After Mirzazadeh's championship, Iran's gold count reached 11, and the total number of medals increased to 38. Iran surpassed Bahrain, which also had 11 gold medals; Iran's superiority was due to a higher number of silver medals. The difference in gold medals between Iran and Bahrain became zero, but Iran had 16 silvers compared to Bahrain's 5 silvers, and this difference determined the ranking of the two delegations.
Final Details and Championship Path
Mirzazadeh faced Rafael Tsitsishvili from Uzbekistan in the final match and won with a score of 3 to 1. This match marked Iran's first gold in Greco-Roman wrestling at the Asian Games in Nagoya and represents a recurring success for Mirzazadeh at the Asian Games level. This championship also continues Mirzazadeh's golden path in this weight category. He had previously won a gold medal in the 130 kg weight category at the Hangzhou Asian Games; his name is recorded as the champion in this weight in the official medal table of Hangzhou.
Iran's heavyweight wrestler entered the competition after a bye in the first round and eliminated his opponents on the way to the final. His presence in the final was already registered in the official list of the 130 kg weight category, and his final opponent was Tsitsishvili from Uzbekistan. The final result meant that Iran added only one gold medal to its total on the eleventh day of the competitions, but this single medal had a direct impact on the ranking table and brought the country's delegation back to sixth place.
The Impact of Mirzazadeh's Championship on the Medal Table
The structure of the medal table at the Asian Games means that an increase in the number of gold medals has a direct effect on the ranking of countries. Currently, Iran with 11 gold medals is behind Thailand with 12 gold medals and simultaneously stands above Bahrain with the same 11 registered golds. The gap between Iran and the fifth place in terms of gold is only one medal, but the total number of medals shows that the competition in the table is not limited to the number of golds; Iran has 38 medals while Kazakhstan is in eighth place with 48 medals, while Iran is ranked higher due to a greater number of gold medals.
Iran's heavyweight championship in Nagoya was not limited to the overall table. Mirzazadeh won the gold in the 130 kg weight category, which he also held at the Hangzhou Asian Games, and once again registered Iran's name at the highest podium in this weight. From the delegation's perspective, the effect of this medal is purely numerical: one new gold, 38 total medals, and a rise to sixth place. For the continuation of the competitions, Iran's position can still change with golds from rival countries or new medals from its own delegation; the Nagoya table is still being completed.
