Behdad Salimikordasiabi yesterday became only the third weightlifter in history to complete a hat-trick of golds at the Asian Games after vanquishing doping-cheat Saeid Alihosseini in a battle of the Iranian giants.
Salimikordasiabi — who won gold at Guangzhou, China, in 2010 and Incheon, South Korea, in 2014 — battled compatriot Alihosseini lift for lift as they turned the superheavyweight (plus-105kg) competition into a two-horse race.
South Korean superheavyweight Kim Tae-hyun won gold in 1990, 1994 and 1998 and Iranian great Mohammad Nassiri won lightweight categories in 1966, 1970 and 1974.
Photo: AP
“I’m so happy that, after Mohammad Nassiri, I am only the second man from Iran to win three gold medals in the Asian Games,” he told reporters after his winning total of 461kg.
The pair could not be separated after both opened with a snatch of 208kg, but it was Salimikordasiabi who prevailed with his final clean and jerk of 253kg, removing his shoes and belt and kneeling to kiss the stage in gratitude.
Alihosseini controversially took silver ahead of Salimikordasiabi in last year’s world championships in Anaheim, California, his first competition after an eight-year doping ban.
The 2012 Olympic medalist Salimikordasiabi revealed he been hampered by a leg injury that required surgery after last year’s world championships.
“After my operation, I’ve had a bad feeling here,” he said pointing to his left knee. “It had been very hard to train. I don’t know how I won. I was determined to do my best. That’s why I gave thanks to God.”
Alihosseini failed with his final attempt of 254kg and had to settle for silver on 456kg.
Alihosseini was originally banned for life from weightlifting for repeated positive tests for anabolic steroids. He was reprieved last year when his suspension was changed to 12 years and then cut to eight.
Rustam Djangabaev of Uzbekistan, fourth in last year’s world championships, was edged into bronze after a lifetime best clean and jerk of 252kg took him to 455kg, just 1kg adrift of Alihosseini.
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