TEHRAN – Iranian female taekwondo athlete Nahid Kiani says she is determined to turn her Olympic silver medal into gold at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

Kiani, who recently underwent surgery on her injured knee, is currently in the rehabilitation phase. In an exclusive interview with Tehran Times, she expressed hope that she will be able to return to competition within the next three weeks.

Speaking about the surgery she underwent last week, Kiani said: “I’m grateful that the surgery was successful. A piece of my meniscus was torn and was preventing my knee from fully opening and closing, essentially locking it. As a result, the doctor decided to remove the torn piece. The recovery period for this type of surgery is much shorter than that of a meniscus repair.”
“The recovery period is about one month, and fortunately one week has already passed. At the moment, I’m undergoing rehabilitation and doing everything I can to ensure my body, in medical terms, doesn’t ‘switch off’ and that I remain in the training process,” she added.

Referring to the 2026 Asian Taekwondo Championships and the 2026 Asian Games, Kiani said the upcoming competitions will be crucial for earning ranking points.
“These tournaments are very important for qualification, so I need to regain my readiness as quickly as possible. I will take part in both the Asian Championships and the Asian Games.”

Looking ahead to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Kiani concluded: “I will do my utmost, just as I did in the previous Olympics when I became the first Iranian woman to win a silver medal in taekwondo. My goal is to once again qualify through the ranking system and turn my silver medal into gold.”