Sohrab Moradi Breaks Oldest Weightlifting Record

During the Asian Championships taking place in Indonesia, on Saturday, September 3rd, Iranian athlete Sohrab Moradi succeeded in breaking the record in the 94 kg weightlifting category by lifting 189 kg. The previous record, held by Greek athlete Akakios Kakiasvili since 1999, was 188 kg in the clean and jerk. After 19 years, Sohrab Moradi shattered this old record and registered it in his name. Moradi, an Olympic and world champion, not only set the world record in the clean and jerk but also secured first place in the 94 kg category with a total lift of 410 kg, earning him a gold medal. Fares Elbakh from Qatar with 381 kg and Sompradit Sarath from Thailand with 380 kg took the second and third places, respectively. Moradi had previously broken the world records for the clean and jerk and total at the World Championships held in Anaheim, USA. He told AFP, "I just wanted to break the clean and jerk record because it was the only record I didn't have, and this was my last chance." The athlete, born in Lenjan in Isfahan province, also mentioned that with his name now permanently registered in the 94 kg records, he plans to move to the 96 kg category and prepare for the World Championships scheduled for November. Kianoush Rostami, Ali Makvandi, and Majid Asghari are three Iranian weightlifters who were eliminated from the Asian Games. Kianoush Rostami, who was competing alongside Sohrab Moradi in the 94 kg category, had a strong chance of winning a silver medal but opted to attempt lifts of 218 and 220 kg three times, ultimately failing and being eliminated. Moradi expressed regret over his teammate's elimination, stating, "We trained together, and I have often been with Kianoush in the 85 kg category. I hope we can both compete together again in the 96 kg category." The Asian Games, held from August 18 to September 2 in Jakarta, Indonesia, sees Iran's delegation of around 400 male and female athletes participating in most sports. As of Saturday, Iran's team ranks fourth with 34 medals in various disciplines, following China, Japan, and South Korea.