Siamand Rahman Clinches Para Powerlifting Title

World’s strongest man in para powerlifting Siamand Rahman added another gold medal to his chest of honors by winning the title of the 2018 Asia-Oceania Open Championships in Kitakyushu, Japan, on Wednesday.

Rahman did not break his own record but his very presence put him in the spotlight as he comfortably won the men’s over 107kg on the final day (Sept. 12) of the tournament lifting 280kg. Winning the title means he has qualified for Tokyo 2020, Paralympic.org wrote.

“It is hard to describe my feelings right now, but I can say that I will surprise everyone at the 2018 Asian Para Games and, and later in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games,” Rahman said.

He said earlier that he will attempt to break his own 310kg world record at the Asian Para Games in Indonesia next month.

Iran’s Mansour Pourmirzaei took silver after lifting 245kg and Iraq’s Faris Al-Ageeli took bronze with 240kg.

There was a dramatic ending in the up-to-107kg category, with the gold medal only decided in the final lift.

Iranian debutant Aliakbar Gharibshi was leading thanks to an Asian record lift of 238kg in the last round. But Mongolia’s Sodnompiljee Enkhbayar followed with a 239kg lift, taking the gold medal and setting a new Asian record. Gharibshi took silver and his compatriot Saman Razi bronze in the 222kg class.

Enkhbayar decided not to attempt to break the world record in the 243kg this time and save his strength for another occasion.

“I am very happy having won the Asia-Oceania title,” he said. “I expected to break the Asian record and I did it. But I will go for the world record in October´s Asian Para Games.”