Soltani Wins IWF Junior Title

Junior weightlifter Hossein Soltani of 77kg class bagged three medals at the International Weightlifting Federation Junior World Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on Tuesday.

According to results posted on the IWF website, Soltani took the silver medal in the snatch category for lifting the 149kg bar after the Lithuanian Ritvars Suhareves who lifted 156 kg.

It was Soltani’s first presence in the world championship in his new 77kg weight category (he previously competed in the 69kg class). He lifted 141kg in his first attempt and handled 146kg and 149kg in his second and third efforts.

In the clean and jerk category, Soltani who failed to lift 176 kg  in his second attempt, handled 177kg in the last effort as his best but not the best of the tournament and won bronze. Suhareves lifted 180kg and won his second gold. Armenian lifter Rafik Harutyunyan won silver with 179 kg.

Total performance of Soltani also brought him silver with 326kg as his overall record, trailing Suhareves with a 10kg gap as he handled 336kg in total. Harutyunyan won bronze in the total category with 324kg.

Earlier this year in April, Soltani grabbed all three gold medals in the 77kg class in the 2018 IWF Asian Juniors Championships in Urgench, Uzbekistan, as his first show-up in an international event in the 77kg class.

In the 69kg class, he finished second at the 2016 IWF Youth World Championships in Penang, Malaysia. A total bronze in the 2017 Asian Juniors Championships in Kathmandu, Nepal, is also among his honors. Among the most notable winners at previous editions of the IWF Junior World Championships was Iran’s Behdad Salimi. Salimi’s first major triumph came at the 2009 IWF Junior World Championships in Romania’s capital Bucharest, where he took top spot at over-105kg a year after finishing third at the previous edition of the event in Cali in Colombia. Still only 28 years of age, he has since claimed victory in the Olympics at London 2012, two World Championships, two Asian Games and three Asian Championships during a glittering career.

A total of 246 athletes from 49 countries are competing at the 2018 IWF Junior World Championships.