Iran junior para powerlifter Alireza Izadi clinched two medals in the 2018 World Para Powerlifting Asia-Oceania Open Championships in Kitakyushu, Japan, on Saturday.
According to ISNA, the Iranian set a new junior world record in up to 49kg category by lifting 140kg to win gold.
The previous record was held by another Iranian, Mohsen Bakhtiar, set in Dubai in 2014 who lifted 131kg.
In addition to the juniors’ competitions, Izadi also partook in the open competitions and won bronze lifting the same 140kg.
Senior lifters Omar Sami Hamadeh from Jordan clinched gold lifting the 175kg barbell and Chinese Yu Zheng grabbed silver handling 158kg.
The Asia-Oceania tournament in Japan will see the world’s strongest man Siamand Rahman of Iran compete, September 12.
Rahman who holds the world and Olympics record in the +107kg category, seemingly has not showed interest in upsetting the record but apparently aims for gold.
He set the jaw-dropping record of 310kg in the 2016 Rio Paralympics -- a solid 75kg gap with the second winner.
“I will not try to break the world record in Japan,” Rahman said. “I am saving my best lifts for October´s Asian Para Games and, of course, for the next Paralympic Games.”
“In Indonesia 2018 and Tokyo 2020 you will witness what no other powerlifter has done before. I am saving the best possible lifts for then,” he said.
According to Paralympic.org, Rahman has indeed captivated the Japanese public. All those who meet him, namely journalists, volunteers and other powerlifters, want to shake his hand or take a picture with their hero.
Last year, he made a name for himself in Tokyo by organizing sessions on para powerlifting for schoolchildren.
On Sunday, Samad Abbasi and Amir Jafari of Iran will partake in the 65kg competitions.
The 2018 World Para Powerlifting Asia-Oceania Open Championships is underway in Kitakyushu, September 8–12. The event is mandatory as the qualification path for the Asian and Oceanian Para powerlifters striving to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
