Heavyweight prodigy Yousefi makes commanding comeback to stage
Iranian weightlifting star Alireza Yousefi marked his return to competition in emphatic fashion on Thursday, capturing the superheavyweight title at the Iranian Weightlifting Pro League.
Representing Foolad Mobarakeh, the 22-year-old prodigy, who had been sidelined for 14 months following knee surgery, totaled 430kg to secure the top spot in the +110kg division.
Yousefi opened with a 188kg lift in the snatch and sealed the title with a commanding 242kg effort in the clean and jerk, underlining his return to form after more than a year away from the platform.
The appearance marked his first competition since his breakthrough performance at the World Championships in December 2024. In Manama, Yousefi stunned compatriot Alireza Davoudi and Armenian Olympic silver medalist Varazdat Lalayan to claim clean and jerk gold with a continental record lift of 262kg. He went on to secure bronze in the total with 456kg.
Reza Hassanpour finished runner-up on Thursday with a total of 407kg. The former world junior silver medalist trailed Yousefi by just one kilogram in the snatch but was unable to surpass 220kg in the clean and jerk after sustaining an injury.
Hamidreza Mohammadi-Tanha, a triple Asian junior silver medalist in 2024, placed third with lifts of 177kg in the snatch and 212kg in the clean and jerk for a combined 389kg.
A two-time world junior champion, Yousefi will now look to translate his statement victory into selection for Iran’s national team ahead of a busy 2026 calendar. However, competition for a place in the superheavyweight squad remains fierce, with Davoudi and reigning Asian champion Ayat Sharifi among the leading contenders.
Iran’s first major assignment of the year will be the Asian Championships in April in Ahmedabad, India. The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in September and the IWF World Championships in October in Ningbo, China, are also looming on the international schedule.