The final day of Powerlifting competition concluded with both a gold medal and a world record for China and Iran at the BUAA Gymnasium on Tuesday, September 16.
Men's -100 kilogram
China's Qi Dong set a new world and Paralympic Powerlifting record, lifting 243kg in his first attempt for the gold medal. The previous record of 242.5kg was set by Rajabigolojeh Kazem of Iran at the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games.
Qi made a second attempt at 245kg and set yet another world record.
Obioma Daleth Aligekwe of Nigeria made good lifts of 230 and 235kg before muscling in to give Qi a run for his money, making a good lift of 245kg in his third attempt to equal the Chinese athlete's brand new world record and secure the silver medal.
Not to be intimidated, Qi returned for his third attempt to make a good lift of 247.5kg, further raising the world record. Yet the excitement was not over, as Aligekwe returned for a fourth attempt at 248kg in a bid to snatch the world record from Qi's hands, but was unsuccessful and made a no-lift.
Qi also returned for a fourth attempt at 248.5kg, but he was unable to raise the bar.
After two no-lifts at 230kg, Iran's Ali Sadeghazedeh Salmani looked in trouble but came back stronger in his third attempt to clinch the bronze medal.
Men's +100 kilogram
Iran's Kazem Rajabi Golojeh set a new world and Paralympic Powerlifting record on Tuesday, winning the gold medal in the Men's +100kg category and taking Iran's medal haul in this sport to five.
Rajabi Golojeh lifted 245kg in his first attempt, setting a new Paralympic record and smashing the previous record of 238kg set by Faris S. Abed of Iraq at the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games.
In his second attempt, Rajabi Golojeh had the bar loaded to 257.5kg and smashed his own world record of 255.5kg, set at the 2006 World Championships in Kuala Lumpir, Malaysia. He was unsuccessful in a bold, third attempt to lift 265kg, but came back successfully in a good lift in a fourth attempt, pushed the world record even higher.
Born in 1977, Rajabi Golojeh is the youngest lifter in this category, separated by 20 years from the oldest, Csaba Szavai from Hungary. His win brings Iran its second gold medal in Powerlifting and fifth medal overall in this sport at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games, putting the country in third place in the Powerlifting medal rankings, behind Egypt with 10, and China with 13 medals.
Australia's Darren Gardiner made good lifts of 225 and 230kg and a no-lift at 232.5kg in his third attempt and bagged the silver medal, Australia's first medal in Powerlifting at this Paralympic Games.
China's Li Bing started strong at 225kg but made a no-lift at 230kg in his second and third attempts, slipping into third place to win the bronze.
(Xinhua News Agency September 16, 2008)