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Georgian Weightlifter Sets Record, Wins Gold, Besting Iranian Champion


Iran's Behdad Salimikordasiabi set a record but was unable to complete a weightlifting competition in Rio, losing to Georgia's Talakhadze.
Iran's Behdad Salimikordasiabi set a record but was unable to complete a weightlifting competition in Rio, losing to Georgia's Talakhadze.

Georgia's Lasha Talakhadze set a new world record in the over-105 kilogram men's weightlifting division and won the gold medal in a surprising upset over heavily favored Behdad Salimikordasiabi of Iran.

Talakhadze, 22, lifted 215 kilos on the snatch and 258 on the clean and jerk to set a new record of 473 total kilos on August 16.

Salimikordasiabi, the defending Olympic champion, set a new world record for the snatch of 216 kilos. But he could not complete any of his three attempts on the clean and jerk.

Salimikordasiabi, 26, disagreed with the judges' ruling on his first two tries and didn't have the energy to complete the third. He fumed afterwards, wagging his finger and shouting at jury members. His coach left the podium gesticulating at the judges.

Angry Iranian fans booed the weightlifters who came after Salimikordasiabi.

With the Iranian sensationally crashing out of the competition, Gor Minasyan of Armenia won silver and Georgia's Irakli Turmanidze took home the bronze.

Both Talakhadze and Minasyan have previously served doping bans.

Based on reporting by AP and AFP

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