Sydney 2000

 

Iran's wrestler Alireza Dabir celebrates after defeating Yevgen Buslovych, of the Ukraine, for the gold medal in the 58 kg freestyle classification at the Olympics in Sydney, Sunday, Oct. 1, 2000. (AP Photo/J.Pat Carter)

Efstathios Topalidis of Greece (R) tries to lift world champion Abbas Jadidi of Iran during their 130kg free style wrestling match at the Olympic Games in Sydney, September 29, 2000. Jadidi won the match. (Vincenzo Pinto/Reuters)

 

Georgia's Eldar Kurtanidze, in red, grimaces as he tries to get hold of Iran's Alireza Heidari during their 97 kg quarterfinals freestyle wrestling competition at the XXVII Summer Games in Sydney, Friday, Sept. 29, 2000. (AP Photo/J. Pat Carter)

Steven Lopez of the United States, center, celebrates his gold medal with runners up Joon-Sik Sin of Korea with silver, left, and Hadi Saeibonehkohal of Iran with bronze from the men's 68 kilogram taekwondo competition at the Sydney Olympic Games Thursday, September 28, 2000. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

 

Former world champion from Iran, Alireza Heidari, right, locks up with Turkey's Ahmet Dogu during a 97 kg freestyle wrestling qualifying match at the Sydney Olympic Games Thursday, Sept. 28, 2000, Heidari won the match 6-1. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)

 

A dejected Cary Kolat of the USA is lead off of the mat by his coach Bruce Burnett after Kolat lost to Iran's Mohammad Talaei in a qualifying freestyle wrestling match at the Sydney Olympic Games, Thursday, Sept. 28, 2000. Kolat defeated Talaei earlier in the day but the two were asked to wrestle a second time when the Iranians protested the outcome. Kolat lost the second match. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)

USA's Cary Kolat puts defending world champion from Iran Mohammad Talaei on his back in a qualifying freestyle wrestling match at the Sydney Olympic Games, Thursday, Sept. 28, 2000. Kolat defeated Talaei butthe two were asked to wrestle a second time when the Iranians protested the outcome. Kolat may be the most star-crossed American wrestler ever. Even when he wins, he loses. Kolat, one of the best U.S. amateur wrestlers ever, won his first Olympic freestyle match Thursday, saw it protested, then lost the rematch to world champion Mohammad Talaei of Iran 5-4.. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)

 

USA's Cary Kolat is thrown on his head by defending world champion from Iran Mohammad Talaei in a qualifying freestyle wrestling match at the Sydney Olympic Games, Thursday, Sept. 28, 2000. Kolat may be the most star-crossed American wrestler ever. Even when he wins, he loses. Kolat, one of the best U.S. amateur wrestlers ever, won his first Olympic freestyle match Thursday, saw it protested, then lost the rematch to world champion Mohammad Talaei of Iran 5-4. (AP Photo/Laurent Rebours)

 

Iran's Hadi Saeibonehkohal, right, leaps in the air as he exchanges a kick with opponent Alejandro Fabian Hernando from Argentina, left, during the Olympics men's taekwondo under 68-kg preliminary match in Sydney Thursday, Sept. 28, 2000. Saeibonehkohal defeated Hernando 3-0. (AP Photo/Greg Baker)	Iran's Hadi Saeibonehkohal, right, uses both feet to try and score against Korea's Joon-Sik Sin during their men's 68 kilogram Taekwondo competition at the Sydney Olympic Games Thursday, September 28, 2000. Sin won the match 5-3. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

 

Iran's Hossein Rezazade prays before lifting to set a new total world record for the men's 105 kilos-plus at the Sydney Olympic Games, Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2000. Rezazadeh won the gold medal for the category and set a new world record with a total of 472.5 kg. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)	Iran's Hossein Rezazade lifts 260 kilos during the clean and jerk to set a new total world record for the men's 105 kilos-plus at the Sydney Olympic Games, Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2000. Rezazadeh won the gold medal for the category and set a new world record with a total of 472.5 kg. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)

Iran's gold breaks Russian weightlifting spell 

By Gideon Long SYDNEY (Reuters) - Iranian weightlifter Hossein Rezazadeh broke two world records to take gold in the men's Olympic superheavyweight division on Tuesday and bring Russia's four-decade domination of the event to an end. Rezazadeh shattered his own world snatch record of 206 kg with a stunning lift of 212.5 kg and then made a personal best of 260 kg in the clean and jerk section for an overall world record of 472.5 kg. His gold in the over-105 kg category was Iran's second in weightlifting in as many days following the success of compatriot Hossein Tavakoli in the 105 kg event on Monday. "I thank God and the Iranian people for my victory," said the 22-year-old, who lifted his arms and called out in prayer to "Imam Ali" before each of his six lifts. Germany's Ronny Weller had to settle for silver for the second Olympics running despite setting world snatch and overall records of his own only to see them eclipsed within minutes by the Iranian. "The Iranians seem to keep coming out of nowhere. It's like a Spielberg movie," an exasperated Weller said. "I broke two world records and lifted 467.5 kg and I gave it all I had." Armenia's Ashot Danielyan claimed bronze while Russian defending Olympic champion Andrei Chemerkin finished fourth after failing with an audacious attempt to take gold with a final lift of 272.5 kg. Rezazadeh's More...

 

Iran's Hossein Tavakoli lifts, during the clean and jerk men's 105 kilogram competition to win the gold medal at Sydney Olympic Games, Monday, Sept. 25, 2000. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)	From left, silver medalist Alan Tsagaev of Bulgaria, gold medal winner Hossein Tavakoli of Iran and bronze winner Said Asaad of Qatar show their medals during awarding ceremonies in the men's 105 kg weightlifting event in the Summer Olympic Games in Sydney Monday, Sept. 25, 2000. (AP Photo/Katsumi Kasahara)

Bulgaria Gets Weightlifting Medal

By ALAN ROBINSON, AP Sports Writer SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - In a few hours, Bulgaria went from the shame of Olympic expulsion to celebrating a silver medal it feared it might not get the chance to win. Hossein Tavakoli of Iran won the gold medal in the 2311/4-pound (105 kg) weightlifting Monday, but Alan Tsagaev of Bulgaria - given the right to lift only hours before - got the silver medal. Bulgaria had previously won a weightlifting gold, a silver and a bronze in the Olympics, but lost all three when each lifter was tossed out for testing positive for a banned drug, a diuretic. Tavakoli lifted 518 pounds (235 kg) on his final lift to overtake Tsagaev, who had led for most of the clean and jerk after also raising 518 pounds. Tsagaev could have won the gold, but couldn't make his final lift of 5231/2 pounds (237.5 kg). The 22-year-old Tavakoli, whose coaches kissed in celebration after he hit the winning lift, won with a total of 9363/4 pounds (425 kg). Tsagaev lifted 9311/4 pounds (422.5 kg). Tavakoli, who leaped onto the medals stand after winning, had a five-pound More...