Iranian weightlifter sets eternal record in Asian Games

JAKARTA, Indonesia: Iran’s Sohrab Moradi set a weightlifting world record that could last forever on Saturday as tearful North and South Korean athletes combined to win a highly symbolic medal at the Asian Games.

Olympic champion Moradi, who served a two-year doping ban from 2013, hoisted a 189kg snatch en route to victory in the men’s 94kg class, breaking weightlifting’s longest standing world record set in 1999.

Moradi’s lift could stay on the record books in perpetuity as after the Games in Indonesia, all the weight classes will change beginning with November’s world championships.

“I feel very happy to know that my name will always remain on all the 94kg world records,” beamed the Iranian.

Moradi’s triumph for the ages came on a day when the Unified Korea team, testament to this year’s marked improvement in Korean ties, won an emotional dragon boating bronze medal.

The North and South Korean athletes were in tears as they sung “Arirang,” a traditional Korean folk song, to celebrate winning their medal.

Both Korean teams marched together at the opening ceremony and they have also joined forces in rowing and women’s basketball at the regional Olympics.

“I was deeply emotional,” said South Korean canoeist Eun Jeong-byun. “We’re divided and forbidden from seeing each other but we both know the same song and speak the same language.”

Controversy marred the start of the athletics competition when Japanese marathon winner Hiroto Inoue was accused of pushing Bahrain’s Elhassan Elabbassi and denying him gold.

Both athletes had complaints rejected by race officials after



they made contact during a thrilling sprint finish, which Inoue won by a fraction of a second.

“The number one (leader) pushed me,” said Elabbassi. “I would have won.”

Later, a cat strayed onto the track during the women’s 100m hurdles heats, after China’s Su Bingtian, joint holder of Asia’s men’s 100m record, eased into the semis.

China continued its dominance of the women’s hammer, claiming both gold and silver for the fifth consecutive Asian Games — a record stretching back to the sport’s introduction.

And Daria Maslova won Kyrgyzstan’s first ever track medal at the regional Olympics, storming home in the women’s 10,000m with a time of 32:07.23.

In tennis, Uzbekistan’s world number 75 Denis Istomin beat China’s Wu Yibing in three sets to win men’s singles gold — before jumping on a plane for a 27-hour journey to the US Open in New York.

Istomin, 31, came from behind to beat the reigning US Open boys’ champion 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7/2) in Palembang. He plays his first-round match at the season’s final Grand Slam on Monday.

“I think it shows it means a lot to me and to my country. I always represent my country, never lose an opportunity,” Istomin said.

World champion Kento Momota was sent crashing out of the men’s badminton by Anthony Ginting as the home favorite raised the roof at the Jakarta arena.

At the end of day seven, China had extended their lead on the medals table, with 72 golds to Japan’s 34 and 25 for South Korea.

About 17,000 athletes and officials are taking part in the 18th Asian Games, the biggest sports event in Indonesia’s history.