Discus thrower Ehsan Haddadi won the gold medal of UC San Diego Triton Championships in San Diego, the US, on Friday.
Haddadi threw the discus for 59.40 meters in his first attempt. To make his record better, he threw further to 67.99 meters in his second attempt, IRNA reported.
In the last attempt, Haddadi put his effort to set the record of 68.85 meters which put the gold medal around his neck though not enough to break his best record for 69.32 meters he had set in the 2008 Tallinn Games in Estonia.
The gold also resulted in acquiring second place in the International Association of Athletics Federation ranking of the discus throw category for the Iranian.
In the American tournament, Haddadi competed against world leader Daniel Stahl of Sweden and 2016 Rio Olympic bronze medalist Daniel Jasinski of Germany.
The record set in Estonia in 2008 is also the highest record set in Asia, not yet exceeded by any other athlete from the continent.
“I’m really happy that I could record higher than 68 meters after six years,” said Haddadi. “I hope that I keep it up to Diamond League Games.”
IAAF Diamond League is a set of international competitions for athletes throughout the year, the first event for the current year will be held in Doha, Qatar, on May 4 at the Suhaim bin Hamad Stadium.
The Doha Grand Prix was first held in 1997 with only men’s events included in the program. Women’s disciplines were added the following year.
Haddadi claimed the Asian record for the field at 2005 Incheon Asian Games by throwing the discus for 65.38 meters.
Nine gold medals in Asian Championships and Asian Games since 2005 are among his honors. His crown jewel is seemingly the silver medal in the 2012 London Olympics, which he earned with a 68.18-meter throw.
His Olympics silver was Iran’s first medal in a field other than weightlifting, taekwondo and wrestling after toiling for 64 years in the Olympic Games.
As Iran Athletics Federation reported, Ehsan Hadadi is currently under the tutelage of Mac Wilkins of the US. As a former athlete, Wilkins has gold medals from the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games and 1984 Los Angeles Olympic silver in the discus throw category.
