Iranian weightlifter Kianoush Rostami won the gold medal in men’s 85 kg category at the 2016 Summer Olympics Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Friday, August 12, and beat his own world record by one kilogram.
It was Iran's first medal at this year's Olympics after several Iranian athletes and even the potential winners (who had won in the previous edition) failed to reach the finals, Varzesh3.com reported.
Rostami, 25, had a total weight score of 396 kilograms (179 kg lifted first in snatch and then 217 kg in clean and jerk). The previous world record was 395 kg which he set in May at the Fajr Cup IWF (International Weightlifting Federation) Grand Prix in Iran.
At a press conference after the competitions, he thanked the Iranian spectators at the stadium who cheered him all the way. "Iranians love their country and their representatives and show it by cheering the athletes enthusiastically," he said and added that it would have been hard for him to have won the gold if he did not have their unanimous support.
Rostami coaches himself and trained alone in the past months to get ready for the games. "The Iranian coaches are good but I want to make my own decisions," he said. "Nobody thought it was possible to come to Rio without a coach. But here I am".
Rostami, who received a silver medal in the same category in London Olympic Games four years ago, felt confident to say he would repeat the achievement in the next Olympics as well. "I will be here again the next time (at the 2020 games in Tokyo) for sure," he said.
The young medalist predicted more weightlifting gold for Iran in Rio as the country has favorites in two of the remaining three men’s medal events, Sohrab Moradi in the 94 kg and Behdad Salimi in the super-heavyweights. "We will see more gold medals, and more world records for Iran," Rostami said. "Now that I have won, I am sure the others will win too".
China’s Tian Tao took silver in the men’s 85 kg weightlifting, having a combined total of 395 kg, while Romania’s Gabriel Sincraian took bronze with a 390 kg total.
With the first gold in hand, Iran is currently ranked 34th in the Olympic Medals Count where the US, China, Japan, Great Britain, South Korea, Germany, Russia, France, Australia and Hungary stand in the first 10 positions respectively, according to the number of gold medals received. Rostami’s medal is Iran’s sixth weightlifting gold in the history of Olympics.
From Sunday, Iranian wrestlers will compete with their rivals and expectations are high from them to add to the medals tally. The Olympic Games started on August 5 are underway in Rio until August 21.
