Iran claimed the gold medal in the mixed team event at the 2026 World Taekwondo World Cup Team Championships after defeating Russia in straight rounds in Thursday’s final in Chuncheon, South Korea.
Iran’s quartet of Amirsina Bakhtiari, Mohammadhossein Yazdani, Yalda Valinejad and Baran Nemati outclassed Russia 2-0 to secure the title. The Iranian team won the opening round 75-60 before completing a dominant 115-25 victory in the second round.
Iran advanced to the final after defeating Morocco and Thailand earlier in the mixed team competition.
The mixed team crown capped a mixed campaign for Iran at the World Cup Team Championships.
A day earlier, Iran’s women’s team earned the bronze medal after defeating Thailand in the third-place match. The Iranian lineup featured Yalda Valinejad, Hasti Mohammadi and Fatemeh Ahmadi. The team reached the semifinals by beating India before losing to Russia. Morocco won the title of this category.
Iran’s men’s team, meanwhile, suffered an early exit after losing to Thailand in its opening match. China claimed the title after defeating Kazakhstan in the final match. Thailand finished third.
The World Taekwondo World Cup Team Championships were held in Chuncheon, South Korea, from July 14 to 16 as part of the Gangwon-Chuncheon 2026 World Taekwondo Culture Festival.
The event featured men’s, women’s and mixed team competitions and formed one of the flagship tournaments on the international taekwondo calendar.
Organizers said the broader festival attracted about 5,000 athletes and officials from 88 countries across multiple World Taekwondo events held in July.
