Hossein Rezazadeh lifts for gold for Iran in the men's 105kg+ class 26/9/2000
Posted on 05/03/2003 8:14:30 PM PDT by freedom44
Hossein Rezazadeh, the strongest man of the world in 2002 and 2003, expressed hope to reign the +105 kg weightlifting category for the coming years, IRNA reported from Tehran. Rezazadeh and Hossein Tavakkoli are to represent Iran in the +105 kg and 105 kg classes of Hungary's Grand Prix.
The two heavyweight lifters will depart for Budapest, capital of Hungary, on May 8.
Rezazadeh burst spectacularly onto the international scene at the 2000 Sydney Olympics with a superhuman lift to defeat two legends of the sport on the way to gold and the title of the `world's strongest man'.
The 24-year-old Rezazadeh took Olympic gold with a world record total of 472.5kg (212.5kg in the snatch and 260kg in the clean and jerk).
His 260kg lift was one of the heaviest in weightlifting history and proved too much for 1992 gold medalist Weller and 1996 winner Chemerkin who settled for silver and bronze respectively.
Rezazadeh won three gold medals in +105 kg category of the 72nd World Weightlifting Championships in Warsaw, Poland as he totally lifted 472.5 kg. He set a new world record in clean and jerk by 0.5 kg as he lifted 263 kilograms.
On, Jan 9, President Mohammad Khatami granted a `badge of courage' to the Ardebili weightlifter.
During a ceremony held in the presence of several ministers and other state officials at Hafezieh Cultural Complex, Khatami presented medals to 16 athletes of the land, including world-class weightlifter Hossein Rezazadeh, freestyle wrestler Alireza Dabir, and taekwondo champion Hadi Saei as a sign of acknowledging their efforts in sportsmanship.
Rezazadeh was voted as `Champion of Champions' of Iran in the year 2002.
Association of Sports Writers, Reporters, and Photographers released the names of the best sportsmen of the country in 2002.
To name the top athletes, the association gathered the votes of 350 sports writers of 32 sports periodicals.
I will be among the happiest folks around when they join the world of civilized democracies.
A country with such a rich history deserves better than its current backward-looking oligarchy.
In terms of skill and athletic achievement, the Olympic lifts he's excelled at are much more difficult and awe-inspiring. Asking him to bench is a little like asking Kobe Bryant to take on the local High School all-star
Its amazing how weightlifters can be competitive well into their late 30's and even after.
Thus my comment. :-)
Unless the all-star is Lebron James (although Bryant would still mop the floor with him).
Here's your bench-press person...
"Scot Mendelson is an NYU graduate and the world's top bench-presser, with 5 world records and a 782.6 lb. bench-press in competition. He has bench-pressed 830 lbs. in training, more than most professional athletes can squat and deadlift combined."
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