Iranian Swimmers Reach Asian Games Finals, Set New National Records

Iranian swimmers Homer Abbasi and Amir Motaee reached the finals of their respective events at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, marking Iran’s first appearance in an individual swimming final at the Asian Games since 2010.

Abbasi finished seventh in the men’s 50-meter backstroke final with a time of 25.23 seconds, lowering his national record after setting a new mark of 25.37 seconds in the heats. Motaee also reached the men’s 100-meter breaststroke final after breaking the Iranian record in the heats with 1:00.66, then improved it again in the final to 1:00.57, also finishing seventh. China’s Xu Jiayu won the 50m backstroke gold, while China’s Dong Zhihao and Japan’s Ohashi Shin shared gold in the 100m breaststroke.

Iran’s return to an individual swimming final comes 16 years after Mohammad Alirezaei reached the finals of the 50m and 100m breaststroke at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games. The Aichi-Nagoya Games are being held from September 19 to October 4 across Japan, featuring around 17,000 athletes and officials from 45 countries and regions. Iran is participating with 305 athletes in 38 sports under the delegation name “Minab Angels,” honoring victims of the February 28 US-Israeli attack on Shajareh Tayyebe Elementary School in Minab.