Weightlifter Ruslan Nurudinov, dubbed the “Pride of Uzbekistan”, won gold in the men’s 105-kilogram division at the Rio Olympics, delivering the first medal of any kind in weightlifting for Uzbekistan.
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The 24-year-old raised 237kg above his head in the clean and jerk for a new Olympic record and a 14kg win over 19-year-old silver medallist Simon Martirosyan of Armenia.
“I am so exhausted, so very exhausted, I just want to sleep”, said Nurudinov, who has undergone two bouts of knee surgery in the past two years, after winning with an overall total of 431kg. I wasn’t present for two years because I had two operations on my left knee.
“Then I want to swim”.
The contest started at 3 a.m.in Uzbekistan but “most people would have been watching” said Nurudinov, who smiles and pokes out his tongue during each lift.
Alexandr Zaichikov of Kazakhstan only managed one valid clean and jerk lift but it proved enough for the bronze medal and a total of 416kg. He joked: “I’ve never bitten it yet”. -Armenia’s first post-independence Olympic Games.
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“Right now I’m the happiest person in the world”, said Martirosyan who pledged to go one better and top the podium in Tokyo in four years’ time. In the third attempt he failed to lift 234kg.
