Saman Soltani (Persian: سمن سلطانی; born 11 June 1996) is an Iranian canoe sprinter based in Austria.
Life
editSoltani began swimming at age six. She was competing in the sport by age eight, and later competed in artistic swimming. Although the sport was not well-supported in Iran, Soltani went on to become the country's national champion, a title which she held for a decade. However, she was not allowed to compete internationally by authorities.[1]
Soltani was introduced to kayaking as a teenager, and switched to the sport as it was more accessible for women in Iran. Within two years, she was a member of Iran's national team. In 2018, Soltani and her team won silver at the Asian Under-23 championships.[1][2]
In 2022, Soltani was invited to attend an artistic swimming camp in Barcelona. While there, she learned that Iranian morality police planned to arrest her when she returned home because she had posted photos on Instagram without wearing a hijab. She flew to Vienna, where her only European friend was living.[1][3][2] She was granted asylum in Austria, where she has since trained with the Austrian Canoe Federation.[1][4]
She competed in canoe sprint at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris as part of the Refugee Olympic Team.
Personal life
editSoltani was raised in Tehran.[1] She has a degree in accounting.[2]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e "How Saman Soltani fought for her Olympic chance". ICF - Planet Canoe. 2023-12-13. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
- ^ a b c Irwin, Pirate. "Refugee Team Canoeist Soltani Turns Heartbreak Into Positive Spur". www.barrons.com. Agence France-Presse. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
- ^ Lampen, Claire (2024-07-25). "For 120 Million, 13 Reasons to Hope". The Cut. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
- ^ "Saman Soltani". Olympics. Retrieved 2024-07-27.