Woman with headscarf poses with medal and mascot in her hand

Sareh Javanmardi

Shooting

Sareh Javanmardi has really stepped up her game since winning bronze at the London 2012 Paralympic Games in P2 (women’s 10 air pistol SH1).

She is now a three-time world and two-time Paralympic champion. Her most recent achievement was double gold at the 2018 World Championships in Choengju, South Korea. Both her P2 and P4 (mixed 50m pistol SH1) titles were won in comeback fashion, verifying she is the top pistol shooter in the sport.

Five months later, Javanmardi got the honour to carry her country’s flag at the Opening Ceremony of the 2018 Asian Para Games in Indonesia, where she again went on to win both pistol events.

Javanmardi began shooting in 2008. She first started with sitting volleyball, then moved onto table tennis and athletics, before finding her passion in shooting.

At her Paralympic debut in 2012, Javanmardi captured P2 bronze, and that was only the beginning of a blossoming career. The 2015 season saw her take two world records in P2 and two wins at World Cups. Her performances placed her amongst the top three in the world rankings in 2015 in P4 and P2 heading into the Paralympic Games year in 2016.

Javanmardi, who is training in business management, completely dominated in both her events at Rio 2016, winning her first titles in P4 and P2 with two finals Paralympic records. Her delight was clear for everyone to see and she has now become another beacon of inspiration for women with impairments in Iran.

Biography

Impairment information

Type of Impairment

Spinal Cord Injuries

Origin of Impairment

Acquired

Classification

SH1

Further personal information

Family

Husband Ali Parsai

Residence

Tehran, IRI

Occupation

Athlete

Languages

Farsi, Persian

Higher education

Industrial Management - Islamic Azad University: Shiraz, IRI

Sport specific information

When and where did you begin this sport?

She took up the sport at age 18 in Shiraz, Iran.

Why this sport?

She tried volleyball but felt that team sports did not suit her personality. She then moved on to individual sports like chess, table tennis and athletics, before finally settling on shooting, which is a sport her grandfather competed in.

Club / Team

Fars Province [IRI] / Shiraz [IRI]:

Name of coach

Hossein Amiri [national], IRI; Zeinab Agha Ali Akbari [national]

General interest

Nicknames

Pistol Queen (paralympic.org, 02 Oct 2019)

Hobbies

Reading, travelling. (paralympic.org, 14 Aug 2017; Athlete, 25 Aug 2021)

Memorable sporting achievement

Winning gold medals in the SH1 10m air pistol and the SH1 50m pistol events at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. (tarafdari.com, 28 Apr 2019; Athlete, 25 Aug 2021)

Sporting philosophy / motto

"In shooting having the right skills and the right equipment are equally important. Shooting requires a high physical endurance and a high intelligence. Succeeding and improving your skills relies on a lot of patience and a hasty person will certainly not succeed in this sport. The effects this sport has on your personality are very important too, and being introverted has contributed greatly to my success. I became much calmer, more patient, and more confident than I was in the past, and it made a huge difference in my psyche." (tarafdari.com, 28 Apr 2019; paralympic.org, 14 Aug 2017)

"Relax and focus." (Athlete, 25 Aug 2021)

Awards and honours

In 2018 she was flag bearer for the Islamic Republic of Iran for the opening ceremony of the 2018 Asian Para Games in Indonesia. (paralympic.org, 01 Oct 2018)

In 2014 she was named Female Athlete of the Year by the Asian Paralympic Committee. (paralympic.org, 04 Dec 2014)

Milestones

She became the first female athlete representing the Islamic Republic of Iran to win gold in Para shooting at the Paralympic Games, when she won the SH1 10m air pistol event at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. After she won gold in the open SH1 50m pistol event at the 2016 Games, she became the second female Iranian athlete from any sport to win two Paralympic gold medals. (SportsDeskOnline, 03 Aug 2021; paralympic.org, 21 Oct 2016)

Ambitions

To win two gold medals at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. (Athlete, 25 Aug 2021)

Impairment

Her impairment is a result of the effects of polio. (Athlete, 08 Feb 2012)

Other information

ECONOMIC SITUATION
In late 2020 she spoke about how the difficult economic situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran was affecting Para shooters in the country. "Due to the higher exchange rate of the US dollar, our equipment cost has increased by 100%. My gun costs nearly three times as much as before. We also had issues with bullets. In that regard shooters are more affected by the economy than other athletes. The currency rates went up and the agreed budgets could not be paid any more. We went along with it, and there were no problems. Of course, it was annoying but it has been resolved. We are aware of the economic situation of the country, but we also need motivation for the [2020] Tokyo Games so that everyone can do their best." (jamaran.news, 30 Oct 2020)

AUCTIONED MEDAL
In November 2017 she auctioned off one of the gold medals she won at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro to raise funds for victims of an earthquake on the border between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Iraq. The disaster killed more than 600 people. "I consider it my duty to take a small step to help my beloved fellow compatriots who have suffered as a result of the quake." (financialtribune.com, 16 Nov 2017; tehrantimes.com, 15 Nov 2017)

FURTHER EDUCATION
She has studied for a master's degree in industrial management. (Athlete, 25 Aug 2021)

Results

		Unit	Date	Rank

London 2012 Paralympic Games (London, Great Britain)
Event	Medal	Unit	Date	Rank
P2 - Women's 10 m Air Pistol SH1		Qualification	2012-08-31	3
P2 - Women's 10 m Air Pistol SH1		Final Round	2012-08-31	3

2014 IPC Shooting World Championships (Suhl, Germany)
Event	Unit	Date	Rank
Team P2 - Women's 10m Air Pistol SH1	Qualification	2014-07-20	2
Women's 10m Air Pistol SH1	Qualification	2014-07-20	1
Women's 10m Air Pistol SH1	Final	2014-07-20	1

Rio 2016 Paralympic Games (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Event	Unit	Date	Rank
P2 - Women's 10 m Air Pistol SH1	Final Round	2016-09-09	1
P2 - Women's 10 m Air Pistol SH1	Qualification	2016-09-09	2
P4 - Mixed 50 m Pistol SH1	Final Round	2016-09-14	1
P4 - Mixed 50 m Pistol SH1	Qualification	2016-09-14	3

Cheongju 2018 World Shooting Para Sport Championships (Cheongju, South Korea)
Event	Unit	Date	Rank
Team P2 - Women's 10m Air Pistol SH1	Qualification	2018-05-05	1
P4 - Mixed 50m Pistol SH1	Final	2018-05-05	1
P4 - Mixed 50m Pistol SH1	Qualification	2018-05-05	6
P2 - Women's 10m Air Pistol SH1	Final	2018-05-05	1
P2 - Women's 10m Air Pistol SH1	Qualification	2018-05-05	2
Team P4 - Mixed 50m Pistol SH1	Qualification	2018-05-05	2

Sareh Javanmardi