Hadi Saei (Persian: هادی ساعی; born June 10, 1976) is an Iranian councilor and former taekwondo athlete who became the most successful Iranian athlete in Olympic history and the most titled champion in the sport by winning 9 world class titles (two olympic titles in 2004 and 2008, two world championships titles, four world cup titles and one world olympic qualification tournament).
Earlier in his career and in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Saei had won the bronze medal. He was elected as member of City Council of Tehran in 2006 local elections and was reelected in 2013 but lost the 2017 election. He is one of the three olympians with the most medals in the sport of taekwondo. He was the President of Islamic Republic of Iran Taekwondo Federation from January 2022 to January 2026.
He has been practicing taekwondo since he was six years old.
Having previously competed in Lightweight (67–72 kg), he is the 1999 World Champion and 2003 World Championship silver medalist. When the Iranian town of Bam was devastated in the 2003 earthquake, Saei put his medals up for auction to raise money for the victims.
He has been World Champion in the World Taekwondo Championships two times. Currently, he is a senior at the Iran Physical Education University.
Saei officially ended his career as a taekwondo athlete on November 8, 2008 (18 Aban 1387).
In the first match against the Nepalese Deepak Bista he fractured his right hand. He did not indicate his injury throughout the entire competition despite enormous pain until he won the final against Mauro Sarmiento. Immediately after winning the Gold medal his hand was put in a plaster cast.
By winning his gold medal, Saei ensured that Iran was leaving Beijing with a better result than their poor showing at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, where they received only one bronze medal. For full results, see Iran at the Olympics.
1995 World Military Taekwondo Championships SILVER
1996 World Military Taekwondo Championships BRONZE
1999 World Taekwondo Championships GOLD
2000 Sydney Olympic Games BRONZE
2002 Asian Taekwondo Championships SILVER
2003 World Taekwondo Championships SILVER
2004 Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament GOLD
2004 Athens Olympic Games GOLD
2005 World Taekwondo Championship GOLD
2006 Asian Taekwondo Championships GOLD