Records tumble but Egypt take the honours after long wait
By Brian Oliver at Riocentro, Rio de Janeiro Kazakhstan had one gold, one silver and one world record. China had one gold, one silver and one world record. But the stars of day five of weightlifting at Riocentro were the nation who finished third in both events, Egypt. For the first time since the 1948 Games in London an Egyptian man won a weightlifting medal – Mohamed Ihab in the 77kg. A few hours earlier Sara Ahmed, aged 18, had become the first Egyptian woman in any sport to stand on the Olympic podium after taking 69kg bronze. They both agreed that for Egypt, the future is very bright. “By the time of Tokyo 2020 Egypt’s status in world weightlifting will be completely different,” said Ihab, 24. The world records came in the men’s 77kg. Lyu Xiaojun, wearing gold shoes provided by his confident sponsors, broke his own snatch world record with a lift of 177kg. After his third clean & jerk he stripped off his top and screamed in triumph. But Lyu reckoned without Nihat Rahimov. With two lifts left Rahimov, who was born in Azerbaijan and lifted for them until 2013, had to make up 12kg to match Lyu’s total of 369kg and win on bodyweight. Unbelievably, he did it at the first attempt, beating the clean & jerk world record by 4kg. It finished Kazakhstan gold, China silver, the opposite of the women’s 69kg in which Xiang Wanmei beat Zhazira Zhapparkul. But the bronze medallist was the star of that show. Sara Ahmed, from Ismailia, was not only the first Egyptian woman to stand on the Olympic podium, she was the first Arab woman to be presented with a medal in weightlifting. “This is such a big honour,” said Ahmed, who won the Youth Olympic Games title two years ago. “All Egypt was waiting for one or two medals from our team.” Technically, Abeer Abdelrahman preceded Ahmed. At London 2012 Abdelrahman finished fifth in the women’s 75kg but because of two doping cases ahead of her, revealed by recent retesting, she becomes a silver medallist. “But I was the first to be on the podium,” said Ahmed, who took up weightlifting because her brother competed in it. She went to cheer him on and later trained and competed herself. Her father died in a motor accident last year and Ahmed, who has two brothers and two sisters, said she would use her reward from the state (500,000 Egyptian pounds, worth $56,000) to help her family. “My father was an agricultural engineer and he was the only breadwinner in the family,” she said. “Now it can be me. I intend to win more medals.” Before the International Weightlifting Federation changed the rules in 2011 to allow muslim women to wear a full-length unitard, very few females practised the sport in the Arab world as they considered the clothing immodest. Ahmed, who wore a full-length unitard and a sports hijab, said, “I have worn the hijab only for a year. It is not compulsory, but I like it. “I hope this medal will encourage other girls to take up the sport. A new weightlifting generation can be born, a new beginning.” Weightlifting and handball were the most popular sports for Egyptian girls, she said. “I hope I can help to reestablish Egypt as a successful weightlifting nation.” Ahmed made six good lifts and had an anxious wait when Colombia’s Leidy Solis Arboleda made her last clean & jerk attempt at 146kg. Had she made it she would have edged Ahmed out of the medals, but she failed and Egypt’s coaches celebrated loudly. Xiang won with a lift to spare, totalling 261kg. Zhapparkul made 259kg. Xiang thanked her parents for helping her through her career “My parents raised four daughters and it was very difficult for them, especially my father,” she said. Zhapparkul won the contest for most sisters. She is the youngest of seven girls. There was an interesting contrast in speed of lifting during the two sessions. Darya Pachabut, of Belarus, took so long she was timed out on her first snatch attempt. Earlier, in the B Group, Britain’s Rebekah Tiler had 52 seconds on the clock when she made one of her clean & jerks. “I like to get on with it,” said Tiler, 17, who finished 10th and is already looking forward to Tokyo. Egyptian men had won nine weightlifting medals, including five golds, when Ahmed won her bronze. A few hours later the 68-year wait for a tenth male medal was over. Ihab Mohamed totalled 361kg for third place, 18kg behind Rahimov and Lu. He said, “There are Egyptian athletes waiting to be promoted into medal positions because of the doping [at 2008 and 2012]. I hope this was a 100% clean competition.” Ihab, from Al-Fayoum, is one of six brothers, all weightlifters. He is the only one competing at this level and he is assured of a hero’s welcome after the Games, he said. Kazakhstan won their first gold of the 2016 Games through Rahimov, who served a two-year doping ban after testing positive at the 2013 Universiade. At the time he competed for his native Azerbaijan. When Rahimov made the lift the Kazakhstan national coach, Aleksey Ni, ran on to the platform to hoist his hero off the ground. Ni then fell on to his back and kicked at the air. On the basis of that record Rahimov was asked, “What would you say to Olympic fans who doubt the validity of your medal?” His reply was, “I am not aware of the problem so that is what I would tell them.” Lyu, who had broken his own snatch world record with a lift of 177kg, said of Rahimov, “I met a stronger competitor. I admire him.” Lyu’s sponsors gave him a pair of specially made gold shoes in the expectation that he would retain his Olympic title. After he made his sixth and final lift he clearly thought he had done enough to win. But Rahimov had the final
