TEHRAN – Iranian discus thrower Ehsan Hadadi has set his sights on a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

Hadadi, 34, won a gold medal at the 23rd edition of the Asian Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar in April.

The gentle giant released a 65.95m championships record to collect his sixth continental title.

Hadadi, who won a silver medal at the 2012 Olympics with a 68.18m throw, also claimed a bronze medal at Doha 2019 IAAF Diamond League meeting in the Qatari capital on Friday with a throw of 66.78m.

With the Olympics in Tokyo just over a year away, Hadadi has talked about a variety of topics.

“I’ve won medals in the recent competitions and I am grateful to God, however I am not completely ready and secured the Olympic quota place with 80 percent readiness,” Hadadi said.

“I will prepare for the Stockholm Bauhaus Athletics, slated for May 30. I think I can win a gold medal in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games with 69m throw. The Olympic record for the longest discus throw is 69.89 meters. I believe that throwing 70 meters is possible. I am following my dreams,” Hadadi went on to say.

 “There's not much time left and I need to be supported because I want to get the best result in the Olympics,” the thrower continued.

“I participated in the Asian Championships with a photo of Shiraz’ Nasir al-Mulk Mosque and a hemistich of Shahnameh of Ferdowsi because I want to introduce my country to the world,” Hadadi concluded.