Iran’s Sole Female Olympic
Medalist Defects Over
‘Hypocrisy’ and ‘Lies’ Kimia Alizadeh, Iran’s only female
Olympic medalist, recently
announced her decision to
permanently leave the country. In a post to Instagram, Alizadeh explained that she was defecting due to the oppression she faced in the country. Alizadeh, who won a bronze medal for Taekwondo
at the 2016 Olympics, said she was constantly
“exploited” by her management. Kimia Alizadeh, via CNN She also stated that she did not want to be
complicit with Iran’s regime of “corruption and lies.” Kimia Alizadeh, via CNN Although the decision to
leave was hard, Alizadeh
said she only wishes for a
“happy and healthy life.” Kimia Alizadeh, via CNN Alizadeh did not confirm where she
would be seeking asylum, but Iran’s
semiofficial ISNA news agency reports
that she has fled to the Netherlands.