TEHEAN – Iranian woman weightlifter Elham Hosseini is going to shine in the World Championships and Olympic Games.

She made history in the 2022 Asian Weightlifting Championships on Friday by winning a gold medal in the women’s 81kg weight class.

Hosseini snatched the gold by lifting 227kg in total.

Japanese Motoka Nakajima seized the silver by lifting 100kg in the snatch, 123kg in the clean and jerk and 223kg in total. Aisha Omarova of Kazakhstan won the bronze medal with 93kg in the snatch, 124kg in the clean and jerk and 217kg in total.

“It was not an easy job to win the gold medal since I was injured five months ago but I could take part in the competition and win the gold,” Hosseini said.

Hosseini had finished fifth and sixth in her previous two attempts in the Asian Championships, and Iran had never won a senior continental medal of any color until today.

“I would like to thank you all who helped me in these years. I learned lessons from the championships and I want to win a medal in the World Weightlifting Championships and 2024 Olympic Games,” she added.

After the launch of Iranian women’s weightlifting four years ago in Ahvaz, when the country’s Islamic rulers allowed women to lift on the platform for the first time alongside the men’s Fajr Cup competition, progress has not always been smooth.