RIO DE JANEIRO — Wrestler Roozbeh Banihashemi says accidents follow him. Maybe gold will follow his path, too.
The 27-year old 84-kg wrestler took gold at the Pan American Games yesterday, defeating American Andrew Hravat by holding him down to the mat for the last 10 seconds of the match.
A former practice partner of Olympic icon Daniel Igali in Burnaby, B.C., the Iranian-born grappler was down by a point with 30 seconds left, when he went for an inside leg trip, missed it but follow up with an ankle pick that kept the American motionless.
His did it with a heavily taped right wrist.
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"Accidents follow me. I was sick for the last nationals and missed the worlds. Then in coming back I broke my wrist three months ago... it's still not healed.
"And a week before coming here, I was shaken up in a car accident.
"But luckily, my club coaches prepare me for something like that.They push you through your injuries. You can always cry later. When it's match time, you suck it up."
