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Drugs scandal overshadows Rezazadeh's Herculean feats
The Iranian icon summoned up all of his awesome power to set a new world record in the superheavyweight class even as weightlifting in Athens has been mired by drugs abuse charges and lifters being kicked out.
Even the world's strongest man Hossein Rezazadeh could not pull weightlifting out of the drugs mire which is threatening its Olympic future.
The Iranian icon summoned up all of his awesome power to set a new world record in the superheavyweight class by lifting the equivalent of two fridge freezers above his head but his amazing feat of strength did not silence the critics.
Rezazadeh, the sport's one true superstar, was confronted with the drugs issue - which has seen 11 weightlifters kicked out of the Olympics - at his victory press conference on Wednesday.
"Our (Muslim) religion forbids doping," he said. "It is up to athletes to compete properly and fairly. If doping cases continue there may have to be some action (by the International Olympic Committee)."
The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) fear that the IOC may take another long, hard look at the sport's place in the Olympics and have promised even more Draconian measures against the drug cheats.
"After these Games we will find means to be even tougher as we fight to rid the sport of this scourge," said Tamas Ajan, the president of the IWF who also sits on the IOC.
As a first step, the IWF will ban all weightlifters unmasked as drug cheats in Athens from the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
"This is our rule - anyone who has tested positive will be suspended from competition for two years and also banned from taking part in the next Olympics," said IWF vice-president Sam Coffa.
The Herculean efforts of two-time world champion Rezazadeh on his way to winning a second straight Olympic gold were a blessing to the under-fire IWF.
There were gasps of amazement from the crowd on Wednesday as the 26-year-old colossus beat his own world mark in the clean and jerk with a stunning lift of 263.5kg.
