CHANGE OF PLACES: DPRK AND IRAN

Viktor KARDASHOV

At the eighth day of the Ashgabat 2018 IWF World Championships, two sets of medals – in the Men’s 102 kg and in the Women’s 81 kg sections – were competed for. In addition, weightlifters in the Men’s +109 kg joined the competitions.

The female weightlifters were the first to complete performances. Lidia Valentin performing Spain won gold with a total in two combinations of 249 kg and the World Champion title.

The representative of Belarus Darya Naumava, who lifted the weight in a total of 245 kg, won silver.

The weightlifter from Ecuador Tamara Salazar with the result of 242 kg in a total of two combinations is bronze medalist.

How did the first results of the eighth competition day of the 2018 World Weightlifting Championships affect the overall medal standings? Let us give you details.

Thanks to Lidia Valentin’s gold medal, the Spanish national weightlifting team substantially improved its position, rising to seventh place in the overall standings and overtaking the Russian team. In addition, the Pyrenean athletes behind the backs of Taiwan and Indonesia teams and have good chances to beat rivals in the remaining two days of competitions.

Belarus is at the 9th place in the medal standings, having 8 awards of various nominations, including the only one gold medal.

Ecuador is still at the end of the total team medals list. Yes, the South Americans have slightly improved their position thanks to bronze and have risen one position up compared with the seventh day. Still, four medals, out of which three bronze, are not the result that the Ecuador national team counted on, coming to Ashgabat.

Meanwhile, Iranian weightlifters brought two more gold medals to the national team.

As per results of competitions in Men’s 102 kg weight category, Ali Hashemi representing Iran won gold with a total in two combinations of 396 kg. In addition, Reza Beiralvand brought another gold for Iran team lifting the weight of 218kg in the clean and jerk as well as he won bronze in the snatch with the weight of 175 kg. Dmytro Chumak from Ukraine ranks the second position in the final protocol.

After completion of competition in the Men’s 102kg weight category, some interesting changes in the team medal standings took place.

These new victories secured the third position – five gold, one silver and two bronze medals – to Iran in the team overall at the ongoing World Weightlifting Championships. North Korean athletes have dropped to fourth place and have one gold medal less than the Iranian team, even if a total number of medals is equal.

By the way, if it goes on like this, the North Korean team risks losing its current fourth place to the Indonesian team that hot on the DPRK’s heels and which has just one gold medal less. Moreover, the teams of Taiwan, Spain and the Russia are close too.

In the medal standings, the Ukrainian team shares the 14th place with the national team of host country. Both teams have three medals (two silver and one bronze); the only difference is that all medals of Ukrainian team are won by men, while for the Turkmen national team – by female weightlifters.

After eight days of the 2018 IWF World Championships, 28 countries have already been awarded medals; twelve teams have gold medals in their piggy banks.

Inaccessible China is at the top of the medals list. Theoretically, Thailand’s national team can miss its second place in the remaining two days of the championships, but for this, the weightlifters of Iran and the North Korea should win gold not only in a total of two combinations, but in each of combinations – snatch and clean and jerk.

Five teams with poor results – Japan, USA, Georgia, Italy and Qatar – share the 22nd place in the overall medal standings.

On November 9, the competitions in the Women’s +87 kg section will start the day. Meanwhile, the winners in this weight category will be determined on the last day of the championships on Saturday. The winners in the Men’s 109kg and in the Women’s 87 kg will be known tomorrow evening.

Generally, only four sets of medals to be competed for until the end of the Ashgabat 2018 IWF World Championships. The athletes in the Men’s +109kg section will be the last one to compete before the official closing ceremony of the World Weightlifting Championships.