TEHRAN – Swimmer Parsa Shahshahani claimed Iran’s first medal at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games on Sunday.
He finished second in the Men's 200-meter backstroke with a time of 2:02.74, behind New Zealand’s Ariel Muchirahondo, who won the title in 1:59.15.
Greece’s Nikolaos Papatheodorou took third place and the bronze medal, clocking 2:03.23.
Iran has competed in the Games with 29 athletes in 14 spots in Dakar, Senegal from Oct. 31 to Nov. 13. This marks Iran's fourth appearance at the Youth Olympics, after making its debut in 2010.
Futsal player Hadis Yarisararoudi and table tennis player Benyamin Faraji served as the flag bearers for the opening ceremony.