Jordan bags first para powerlifting gold
Omar Qarada
26-08-2021 12:48 PM
Ammon News - A body weight difference of 100 grams gives Omar Qarada first place ahead of Vietnam's Rio 2016 champion Le Van Cong at the Tokyo International Forum.
Jordan took the first gold medal in Para powerlifting at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games on Thursday, 26 August.
Early Thursday, Omar Qarada gave Jordan the victory in the men’s up to 49kg.
The 40-year-old Qarada lifted 173kg on his third attempt to bag the victory ahead of world record holder and Rio 2016 champion Le Van Cong from Vietnam.
The Vietnamese also lifted 173kg but Qarada finished first due to a lower body weight of 100 grams (47.21kg against Van Cong’s 47.31kg).
It was Jordan second ever Paralympic gold medal and Qarada’s first after two silver at Beijing 2008 and Rio 2016.
Parvin Mammadov gave Azerbaijan the bronze medal (156kg).
“I speak a lot to Le. He is a friend. In Rio the same thing happened, we both lifted the same weight on our third lift, but in Rio it was Le stealing my gold medal. Today it was me who was able to steal the gold medal from him,” Qarada said.
“It is a dream come true, but it’s just a stepping stone for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, where I promise I will set a new world record,” he added.