The generous-spirited sports heroes have joined rescue and relief teams in East Azerbaijan Province and donated blood for victims of the recent disaster (pictured top), which has reportedly claimed the lives of more than 300 people and left over 3,000 injured.

Two severe earthquakes, respectively measuring 6.4 and 6.3 on the Richter scale, rocked the north-west of Iran on August 11.

Hamid Sourian, who was victorious in the Greco-Roman wrestling 55kg class at the Games, and fellow matman Alireza Dabir, a freestyle 58kg gold medallist from Sydney 2000, have set up a campaign in Tehran that is likely to raise some 50 billion rials (£1.6 million/$2.5 million/€2.0 million).

The funds are expected to be spent on building 150 housing units in earthquake-hit villages with the construction work carried out under the supervision of the two athletes.

Moreover, Sourian and his Greco-Roman team-mate Ghasem Rezaei, winner of the 96kg class in London, have dedicated their medals to victims of the disaster.

London 2012 weightlifting gold medallist Behdad Salimi donated four pints of blood to help earthquake victims

Elsewhere, weightlifting star Behdad Salimi, who struck gold in the +105kg class at this summer's Olympics, joined the many people prepared to give blood when he donated four pints at a Tehran blood transfusion centre.

He later travelled to East Azerbaijan Province to offer moral support to youngsters in the area.

Fellow strongman Sajjad Anoushiravani, class runner-up to his fellow Iranian at the Games and who lives in the affected region, was among those who stepped forward to help administer emergency supplies to people.

Discus silver medallist Ehsan Hadadi also paid a visit to the region and told Khabar Online: "It was my responsibility to come here in order to express my sympathies with people.

"I'm very happy that I could bring smiles to people's lips when I talked to them and tried to help them."

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