Iran International

Iranian competition climber Elnaz Rekabi voiced support for nationwide protests in the country by sharing the names of people killed during the unrest in an Instagram story and describing them as “the children of Iran.”

Rekabi drew global attention in 2022 after she competed without a headscarf at the Asian Championships in Seoul following protests triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody.

After returning to Iran, Rekabi faced pressure from authorities, was kept under tight security for a period and saw her family villa in Zanjan demolished by state bodies. She later left Iran and now lives and continues her career in Canada.