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Disneyland Weightlifting Dome witnessed its last but greatest competition, after thousands of people raised to their feet applauding Iranian modern-day Hercules Behdad Salimikordasiabi when he snatched 214kg and broke the world record previously set by Iranian icon Hossein Rezazadeh, who had snatched 213 kilograms in 2003 Asian Championships.

Salimi, the World Championship and Asian Games gold medalist, was successful on his first attempt at 201 kilograms, then lifted 209 kilograms for the second, and finally elevated 214kg overhead in his third attempt. He then lifted 250kg in the clean and jerk, and was crowned as undisputed champion of the event after he lifted a total of 464kg.

Iran’s Sajjad Anoushiravani won a bronze medal after he snatched 198kg, and selected
two silver medals after he clean and jerked 241kg and reached a total of 439kg.

Korea’s bronze medalist Sang-Guen Jeon, proved himself as a good rival for the Iranian athletes in clean and jerk, after he decided to take 254kg overhead and stood in second place right after Behdad Salimi. But the Korean lost his hopes to come in second as he was not successful in his third attempt.

Men’s +105kg Press Conference:

Speaking at the press conference, Iranian world champion Behdad Salimi expressed his pleasure over his results and setting new world record in snatch.

Salimi declared that he has joined Iran’s national team five years ago and has been training with Iranian silver medalist Sajad Anoushiravani for two years.

Being asked over the opinion of Hossein Rezazadeh about breaking his snatch record, Salimi said Rezazadeh was very happy when seeing an Iranian weightlifter could break his record in snatch. And that he has always been encouraging him to set new world record in super heavy weight class.

Iranian gold medalist then stressed that he also wanted to set new world record in total in Paris 2011 championships, but could not perform well in his last clean and jerk attempt. Adding as his true rivals were absent at this competition he did not have fierce contest. He hoped to have more challenging competition in the London Olympics to break the world record in total too.

When asked about the referees’ decision to remove his armband as it was illegal, Iranian champion said it was only an armband in which he kept the verses of holy Quran, a way to ask for help from God.

Iranian silver medalist Sajad Anoushiravani also said he joined Iran’s national team 8 years ago, but due to some injuries he had to leave the camps but has joined the team again since two years ago.

He expressed his satisfaction for receiving the silver medal, saying he has always told to his team mates that again two Iranian weightlifter would win the gold and silver medals at 2011 world championships.

Korean bronze medalist Sang-Guen Jeon, also present at press conference, said his record at Paris 2011 was his best in the past years.

Adding right before 2008 Beijing Olympics, he participated in a national selection competition in Korea and there he made an overall of 440kg, but his total was 433kg he made at Paris 2001 world championships.

When asked why he did not make improvements in the past three years, Jeon explained that he was injured, his ankle broke seriously while he was water skiing in 2009 and went under medical treatments, and accordingly he could not participate in Korea’s training sessions and could not prepare himself very well for the competitions.

He later stressed he would make better performances in London Olympics, promising to win gold medal in clean and jerk.

He said the Korean team, which is going to compete in the coming 2012 Olympics, would be selected in April.