After finishing well back in the field last time, freestyle wrestler Mehrdad Tarash is aiming for a medal finish at his second Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next month.
The 24-year-old booked his place in the Australian team after winning the 65-kilogram division at the nationals in Canberra.
Tarash, who trains in Maribyrnong, said he was rapt to have officially made the team.
“I was pretty confident going into the nationals,” he said.
“I’ve been training for this for a long time. It was just a matter of performing on the day. Luckily, everything went according to plan and it turned out well.”
After finishing ninth at his first Common- wealth Games in Delhi, India, four years ago, Tarash is confident he’s better prepared this time around.
The Sydenham resident said he learnt a lot from his Delhi experiences and is hoping to translate that into a podium finish. “When I made my first Commonwealth Games team I was very young,” he said.
“I was only 20 and I was inexperienced in terms of tournaments at that level. My preparation wasn’t as good as I would have liked, but this time around I’ve learnt from my mistakes and am a lot better prepared.
“I am definitely aiming for a medal. I’m not there to muck around.”
In preparation for Glasgow, Tarash will continue to work with his coach, Sam Parker, and attend training sessions with the Australian team.
He will also work with his older brothers, Farzad, 26, and Farshad, 33, who bring unrivalled experience on big stages to his camp. Farshad competed at the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games and Farzad represented Australia at the 2012 London Olympics.
“Absolutely, it’s great to be able to learn from my brothers,” Tarash said.
“As older brothers, they have some great experience.
“Having them there, especially at training, is very important.”
While his immediate attention is focused on the Commonwealth Games, Tarash is also hoping to follow in Farzad’s footsteps by making an Olympic team.
“That’s definitely the bigger goal,” he said. “I was part of the qualification process with Farzad for 2012, but I didn’t make it.
“The next Olympics is one of the biggest things I’ve been working on.”
Liam Twomey
