2026 World Weightlifting Championships:
Iran coach Salimi wary of tough test in Olympic qualifier
Iran men’s head coach Behdad Salimi has warned of a tough test at the upcoming IWF World Championships as the country’s weightlifters prepare for the first qualifying event for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The global showpiece will kick off next Tuesday in Ningbo, China, where Iran will be represented by eight weightlifters across four men’s weight categories.
Super-heavyweight duo Ali Davoudi and Alireza Yousefi will headline the eight-man roster in Ningbo, with both expected to be among the contenders in the +110kg category.
Former world and Olympic silver medalist Davoudi will enter the competition on the back of a morale-boosting gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in late September, while Yousefi will also fancy his chances after making a strong return to action at May’s Asian Championships following an 18-month injury layoff. He set a world record to win the clean and jerk gold, adding a snatch bronze and a silver in the total.
Former world champion Mirmostafa Javadi and Abdollah Beiranvand will compete in the 85kg category, while Ali A’alipour – also a gold medalist at the Asian Games – and Hamidreza Zarei will feature in the 95kg division.
In the 110kg category, Alireza Moeini will look to build on his impressive performance at last year’s World Championships, where he claimed the snatch gold and total silver.
Joining Moeini in the category is Alireza Nasiri. The young Iranian set two world junior records on his way to winning the clean and jerk gold and total silver last year but endured a disappointing Asian Games campaign, missing out on the podium.
“Competition will certainly be much tougher this year because everyone is preparing for the first Olympic qualifying event and will arrive in top shape,” Salimi told Mehr News Agency this week.
He added that the national team had resumed training shortly after the Asian Games, giving the lifters just two days of rest before beginning preparations for the world championships.
Salimi said that while Iran was unlikely to increase the number of its representatives, last-minute changes remained possible if any lifter failed to reach the required level of fitness.
“Our goal is to send lifters who are physically ready to compete,” said the former world and Olympic champion.
The coach also defended Nasiri following his disappointing performance at the Asian Games, describing the young weightlifter as one of Iran’s most valuable prospects.
“Alireza is an asset to us and one of the best in the world. We must do everything we can to support him,” Salimi said.
He said Nasiri had considerable physical strength and potential but sometimes struggled to manage the pressure and atmosphere of major competitions, which affected his performance.
According to Salimi, Nasiri showed better composure in Nagoya than in previous competitions. He expressed confidence that the young lifter could become one of Iran’s leading medal contenders at the World Championships and the 2028 Olympics.
Reflecting on Iran’s Asian Games campaign, Salimi described the overall performance as positive despite the team falling short of its target of four medals. Iran secured two golds through Davoudi and Alipour, while Javadi and Nasiri failed to reach the podium. Salimi also highlighted the progress from silver medals at the previous edition to gold in Nagoya.
He said he hoped the team would maintain its progress at the World Championships and through the remaining stages of Olympic qualification.
However, Salimi cautioned that the competition in China would be considerably tougher, with the leading lifters from the Asian Games expected to return alongside three or four additional contenders from other countries.