The fastest man in the history of Iran, Hassan Taftian won the gold medal at the Elite Meeting Games in Forbach, France, on Sunday, in the 100m sprint category.
Taftian ran the distance in 10.19 seconds to win gold. Ivorian sprinter Arthur Gue Cisse who has a gold medal from the 2015 African Games finished second with 10.23 seconds, IRNA reported.
In third place was Frenchman Mickaël-Meba Zeze passing the finish line in 10.25 seconds.
Earlier this year, Taftian came fifth in the Birmingham Indoor Championships in England held on March 1-4. According to the International Athletics Association Federation website, Taftian raced alongside top athletes of the 60m category, including all-time world record holder Christian Coleman.
With only 0.16 seconds shy of the winner, Coleman who ran the distance in 6.37 seconds, the Iranian finished fifth in 6.53 seconds. Taftian is also fifth in the ranking of the 2017-18 season in the 60m indoor sprint.
In February Taftian bagged a bronze medal in 60m sprint running in Metz, France where sprinters from Jamaica and the Ivory Coast crossed the finish line first and second respectively.
The Iranian leopard also has the gold medal of the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.
Taftian is preparing for the 18th Asian Games slated for August 18-September 2 in two Indonesian cities of Jakarta and Palembang.
