Tokyo, Japan, August 3, 2021: Akbar Djuraev won Uzbekistan its second gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics bringing home the men’s 109kg weightlifting title with an Olympic record of 430kg.
The Uzbek’s snatch effort was 193kg, followed by the clean and jerk of 237kg - also an Olympic record - to total 430kg at Tokyo International Forum on Tuesday, August 3.
“The success of Akbar Djuraev has given us an unforgettable joy,” the Uzbekistan National Olympic Committee said in a statement.
Djuraev’s Olympic record-breaking heroics earned Uzbekistan its second gold, following Ulugbek Rashitov’s gold medal in the men’s 68kg taekwondo at the start of the Games.
Uzbekistan’s medal tally in Tokyo 2020 now stands at two gold medals and a bronze, won by judoka Davlat Bobonov in the men’s 90kg.
Djuraev trailed Armenia’s Simon Martirosyan by 2kg after the snatch section – 195kg to 193kg – but his rival could only manage 228kg in the clean and jerk to total 423kg and win the silver medal.
Latvian Arthur Plesnieks won the bronze with a combined score of 410kg.
