Mehdi Taghavi

Sport: Wrestling

Nation: Islamic Republic of Iran

DOB: February 20, 1987

Career Highlights: Taghavi is the defending world champion, having captured the gold medal in 2011 to go with the title he won in 2009. He also won the Asian championships in March for the second time and finished second at the Asian Games in 2010. This will be his second Olympics, having finished 11th in Beijing in 2008. Taghavi was also an accomplished junior wrestler, winning the world championship twice before moving up to the senior level.

Olympic History: 2008