Iran opened its account in Rio with a gold medal and a world record as Kianoush Rostami outmuscled his rivals to win the men's 85-kilogram weightlifting class.
Rostami knelt and kissed the platform before adopting a position of prayer after his lift of 217 kilograms in the clean and jerk, which when added to his 179 from the snatch gave him a winning total of 396 — one kilo above the world record he had set in May.
The silver went to China's Tian Tao on 395. Tian had a high-risk strategy of attempting 217 on his last lift after twice failing at 210, thus risking finishing last if he didn't make the lift.
Bronze went to Romania's Gabriel Sincraian on 390. Sincraian only returned last year from a two-year ban for doping.
Comments
SHARE