An Israeli Olympic official said sanctions should not be imposed against an Iranian athlete who most believe refused to fight against his Israeli competitor. Alex Gilady, an International Olympic Committee member from Israel, said it was impossible to punish Arash Miresmaeili because he was officially disqualified last week after he failed a weigh-in before his match with Ehud Vaks. “We cannot say anything because it didn’t happen,” Gilady told The New York Times. Most observers believe Iranian officials forced Miresmaeili to fail the weigh-in because the Islamic republic does not accept the existence of the Jewish state.
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