Bombs stopped the boats, but not Kimia Zarei from winning Asian Games gold and silver

Seven months ago, war had broken out in Zarei’s country. With warplanes flying overhead, the Iran Rowing Federation cancelled its training camp and sent its athletes back to their homes, with only their ergometers and a training programme from their coach.

Updated : Sep 24, 2026 18:35 IST , NAGOYA - 3 MINS READ

Kimia Zarei overcame several odds back home to claim an Asian Games gold and silver medal. | Photo Credit: JONATHAN SELVARAJ

On Thursday, Iranian rower Kimia Zarei had one of the best days of her career at the Nagoya Asian Games. She won gold in the women’s lightweight double sculls alongside Zeinab Norouzi before adding a silver in the women’s double sculls at the Nagaragawa International Regatta Course.

But nothing about her preparation was easy.

Seven months ago, war had broken out in her country. With warplanes flying overhead, the Iran Rowing Federation cancelled its training camp and sent its athletes back to their homes, with only their ergometers and a training programme from their coach.

No rowing boats, no training camp and no certainty about what the next day would bring.

“We were being bombed every day,” said Zarei, who returned to her hometown of Hamadan.

The Iranian rowers tried to maintain some semblance of normality. They trained in their rooms, sometimes while hearing explosions outside. They stayed in touch with their coach and followed their training schedules as best they could.

“For a month, I trained in my room, using only an ergometer. Every day, I did 20 kilometres,” Zarei said.

She remembers one session in particular.

“I was about to start training when I heard bombing so close to our home that, when I looked out of the window, I could see everything — the smoke and all,” she told Sportstar.

It was not simply a matter of finding somewhere quiet to exercise. The war had become part of everyday life.

“The first month of the war was really hard. Every city was affected. I cannot say it was only in one; most of them were affected,” Zarei said.

Training could be interrupted at any time. The athletes, Zarei said, were often left facing an impossible choice.

“There were times when I had to stop training because there was bombing near my home. Sometimes I would ask myself: should we be trying to save our lives or trying to row?” she said.

Eventually, as the conflict eased, Zarei and the rest of the women’s team were able to return to their training camp and resume rowing on the water. Zarei said the support of the federation, coaches and teammates was crucial in helping them through the period.

“Thankfully, with the support of our federation, our coach and our teammates, we could handle it. We had nice sessions every day — in our homes and in our rooms — even through the most difficult days, when we were hearing bad news about the situation in our country,” she said.

The circumstances made the Asian Games seem almost secondary for Zarei at times. But she kept returning to the reason she was training. She had finished fourth in her event in Hangzhou and remembers being in tears at the end of the competition.

She thought about the medal, her family and the people waiting for her back home.

“I managed to stay motivated every day by thinking about the medal, my people, my family and my future. This medal really matters to the Iranian people, especially Iranian girls,” she said.

Published on Sep 24, 2026

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