Carla Chahrour

Iran’s sole female Olympic medalist, Kimia Alizadeh, 21, opposes gender inequality by permanently leaving the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The taekwondo athlete, who made history during the 2016 Rio Olympics where she claimed a bronze in the 57kg category of taekwondo and became the first Iranian woman to win an Olympic medal announced her defection through posting a letter on Instagram Sunday.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7LtxeOnZZU/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

In the letter, she explained her decision to leave her homeland by referring to herself as “one of the millions of oppressed women in Iran,” thereby shedding light to the discrimination of women in the country.

The post continued by elucidating the instances in which she endured sexist maltreatment from authorities, who she says, used her a “tool” or propaganda mechanism by praising her success publicly while “humiliating” her afterwards with comments such as "It is not virtuous for a woman to stretch her legs!” 

Popularly known in Iran as "The Tsunami," Alizadeh described her decision to leave as more difficult than winning the gold Olympic medal, but nevertheless, mandatory, as she did not want to continue “climbing the stairs of corruption and lies,” and “didn't want to sit at the table of hypocrisy, lies, injustice and flattery.”

Her defection comes amidst unprecedentedly high turmoil between the people of Iran and their government as well as tension between Iran and the United States.

The post did not reveal when she left, where she was, nor whether she will compete at the Tokyo Olympics this summer under the flag of Iran, although she clearly states “I remain the son of Iran wherever I am.”