QOC
Qatar's Fares Ibrahim Hassouna bagged two gold medals at the Qatar International Cup Weightlifting Championships on way to securing his spot at the Tokyo Olympics next year.
Fares, who is a junior world champion and a world silver medallist at the senior level, won the 96kg class at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Doha yesterday much to the joy of Qatari fans at the venue.
Fares beat Iranian competitors for his gold medals, lifting 228kg in the clean and jerk and 404kg in total.
“I am very happy and with my effort, today," said Fares, who finished seventh at the Rio Olympics as an 18-year-old.
“I was very young when I took part in the first Olympics but now I am experienced and much more confident. Hopefully, I can win a medal in Tokyo next year," added the 21-year-old. Iran's Kianoush Rostami finished second while his compatriot Ali Miri was third. Rostami won the snatch title with 178kg. Miri's best in the snatch was just 162kg.
Fares beat Rostami in all the three attempts in the clean and jerk to ensure his first gold medal. While the Qatari recorded 213, 223 and 228kg, the Iranian hoisted 210, 220 and 225kg, which allowed Fares to win the second gold with a difference of just one kilo.
Azerbaijan's Minkova Kastova Boyanka made a clean sweep of all the three gold medals in the women's 59kg class, Latvia's Rebeka Koha and Romania's Irina Lacramiora Lepsa was third.
North Korean Choe Hyo Sim emerged the champion in the women's 64kg category, totaling 229kg, eight kilos more than second-placed Italian Giorgia Bordignon's attempt. The North Korean was second to Bordignon in the snatch but won the remaining two sections to stamp her class. The bronze medal went to Indian Rakhi Halder, who was fifth in the snatch but did well in the clean and jerk to finish second with 123kg, which helped her secure the third spot in the total.