Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games:
Davoudi says he weighed up retirement before super-heavyweight glory
Iranian weightlifter Ali Davoudi, who won the men’s super-heavyweight gold at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games in Japan on Tuesday, said he seriously considered retiring months ago due to persistent injury problems.
A silver medalist at the previous edition of the Asian Games in Hangzhou, Davoudi tallied 466kg in total to walk away with the top prize in a thrilling, controversy-ridden +110kg event at the Nagoya City Trade and Industry Center.
Best known for his clean-and-jerk expertise, Davoudi opened his snatch campaign with a successful 197kg lift and went on to clear 202kg and 206kg with his next attempts, finishing second in the category.
However, the Iranian – an Olympic silver medalist at Tokyo 2020 – still had an uphill task in the clean and jerk after Iraq’s Ali Ammar Yusur Rubaiawi topped the snatch standings with a new world record of 219kg.
Davoudi comfortably lifted 242kg with his first clean-and-jerk attempt. However, having fallen 13kg behind in the snatch, he needed a high mark in his final two attempts to make up the deficit. Iran head coach Behdad Salimi took a risk with his second selection, calling for 260kg.
Meanwhile, Ammar successfully lifted 240kg and 246kg and had selected 252kg for his third attempt. In a bizarre turn of events, he was sitting on a chair in the warm-up area, apparently unaware that it was his turn to lift, before realizing that he had very little time remaining. He rushed onto the platform but ultimately failed with his final attempt of the day.
Davoudi then came onto the platform to attempt 260kg and successfully completed the lift, only to be given two red lights by the officials. A timely appeal by the Iranian coaches, however, saw the decision overturned following a video review, securing a 10th gold medal for the Iranian delegation at the multi-sport event. “It was a great moment, and I was blessed by God. I won the silver medal at the previous edition, but this time I managed to win gold, and I am truly grateful for that,” Davoudi said after securing Iran’s second weightlifting gold in Nagoya.
“The judges were a bit harsh on me, but after our appeal and a review of the footage, my second clean-and-jerk lift was upheld.
“I seriously considered retiring from weightlifting a few months ago because things had become difficult for me due to a lingering injury problem. However, I continued, and thankfully I was blessed by God and managed to win a medal at these Games,” added the 27-year-old, who became emotional after securing the triumph.
“The gold medal was very important for the Iranian delegation. Thankfully, I was able to win it. I will do everything I can to win the same medal at the Los Angeles Olympics.”
Salimi, meanwhile, was thrilled by Davoudi’s success, saying: “The super-heavyweight medal is an important one and has always held a special place for Iranians. Ali reaped the rewards of his hard work and all the effort he had put in. He has lived a professional life and shown great perseverance, and today he received the reward for all his efforts.”
“Today, it really felt as though I had won the medal myself. I feel the same way about all members of the team. I am genuinely happier than I was when I won a medal myself. I dedicate this medal to all the people of Iran,” added Salimi, a three-time world champion and London 2012 Olympic gold medalist in the super-heavyweight category.