Moradi wins second gold medal for Iran at Rio 2016

Vadzim Straltsou of Belarus claimed silver with a total of 395 kilograms and Lithuania’s Aurimas Didzbalis won bronze on 392 kilograms. Among the quartet was Laura Trott, who became the first British woman to win three Olympic gold medals in any sport.

Earlier on Friday, Iran’s first gold in the 2016 Olympic Games was received by weightlifter Kianoush Rostami who won the men’s 85-kilogram category with a new world record of a total of 396 kilograms.

Iranian lifters could achieve a record-breaking three golds at a single Games if favourite Behdad Salimikordasiabi retains his super-heavyweight title on 16 August.

Rio de Janeiro (AFP) – Iranian weightlifter Sohrab Moradi insisted a previous doping ban did not diminish his gold as he backed two Polish brothers who failed drugs tests in the run-up to Rio.

“I was training very hard in my house”.

“People laughed at me, they said you’re retired, you’re banned but I had a goal and I worked hard for it”.

Moradi is the third weightlifting gold medalist of the Rio Olympics to have previously served a doping ban, after Nijat Rahimov of Kazakhstan in the men’s 77kg and Sukanya Srisurat of Thailand in the women’s 58kg. He tested positive for methadone and said it must have been administered to him as a painkiller without his knowledge.

He also failed with his final clean and jerk, which he followed with a flying somersault.

It was a depleted field after Polish brothers Adrian and Tomasz Zielinski were both withdrawn for failing drugs tests.

Asked if the sport’s doping image devalued the Olympic competition, Moradi said: “No, I don’t accept your idea”.

Moradi, 27, had two attempts at a world-record clean and jerk of 234kg after his victory was assured, but never came close with either of them because, he said, he felt a strain in his right thigh.

Iran’s other lifter in the 94-kilogram category, Ali Hashemi, finished in the seventh place with a total of 383 kilograms.

“I’m very sad and also I love Ilya”, he said.

“Because I’m a weightlifter I feel for them”.