Iran coach tips weightlifting duo for Olympic glory
Iranian weightlifting head coach Navab Nasirshalal tipped Alireza Moeini and Ali A’alipour for Olympic and Asian Games success in the coming years after the duo bagged three medals at the IWF World Championships in Manama, Bahrain.
A successful first lift of 176kg was enough for Moeini to win the snatch silver in the men’s 96kg contest on Thursday, while A’alipour took the bronze medal in a tight clean & jerk competition, where the top three finished level at 214kg.
A winner of three Asian medals in February, A’alipour, 20, went on to collect a second bronze of the afternoon, thanks to a total tally of 387kg, standing behind Kazakhstan’s gold medalist Nurgissa Adiletuly (388kg) and Georgian Revaz Davitadze (387kg).
“Moeini and A’alipour worked really hard over the past year and a half, dedicating a great deal to overcome their shortcomings for the world event,” Nasirshalal said of the two weightlifters.
“They’re both young and inexperienced weightlifters and were competing in their first World Championships, which is why they couldn’t fully deliver their potential,” added the Iranian coach.
Nasirshalal was still pleased with the final outcome for the two Iranians, given “this was a first international event for Moeini in two-and-a-half years, while A’alipour had only participated in an Asian competition during that period.”
“Any weightlifter familiar with the World Championships knows that the mental burden of the occasion can be overwhelming for all contestants. I’m still thrilled they had a decent performance and managed to finish their campaigns with medals.
“They are halfway through the path to glory, which began 18 months ago, and I’m confident there is more to come for both of them, if they receive the right support in the future,” said Nasirshalal.
Nasirshalal said the new generation of Iranian weightlifting is far from a finished article, adding: “They still need to take part in more international events to learn their trade and thrive.”
“I’ve been with this group of young talents for quite some time and have seen how hard they try in training. I’m sure weightlifters like Moeini and A’alipour are capable of bringing glory to the country in the Olympics and Asian Games,” added Nasirshalal, a 105kg bronze medalist in the 2012 London Games, who was awarded the gold medal six years later after the original top two, Oleksiy Torokhtiy of Ukraine and Uzbek Ruslan Nurudinov, tested positive for doping.