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JOKESTAN PERSIAN JOKES - Jokestan Homepage Members
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SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- Imagine six jumbo-sized washing machines lined up side-by-side on a loading dock, or a living room filled with furniture.
Hossein Rezazadeh, the newest claimant to the title of world's strongest man, just lifted them -- all at one time, all by himself.
It was hard to tell Tuesday who was more surprised: Rezazadeh or the better-known weightlifters he had just beaten for the Olympic super heavyweight gold medal.
``I did not expect to win a medal,'' said the 22-year-old Rezazadeh, the second Iranian in as many days to get a weightlifting gold medal. ``But my preparation was very good.''
His lifting was even better.
He isn't exactly an unknown in weightlifting -- even if silver medalist Ronny Weller of Germany didn't know his name -- but he still wasn't the gold medal favorite. Or, for that matter, the silver or bronze favorite.
Not with the heavyweights, and not just in weight, of the sport gathered for the most popular event in weightlifting -- the battle of the big men. The surprise was a big name didn't win.
``I still don't know his name, and I can't even quite tell you what he looks like,'' Weller said. ``But he is a very surprising competitor.''
Surprising, and strong. Rezazadeh lifted 1,040 pounds (472.5 kg) to overtake repeat silver medalist Weller and bronze medalist Ashot Danielyan of Armenia.
Rezazadeh joined Hossein Tavakoli, who won Monday at 231 1/4 pounds (105 kg), as an Iranian weightlifting gold medalist.
Andrei Chemerkin, the 1996 gold medalist, also had a chance to win, too, though not necessarily a good one.
Russia's Andrei the Giant -- he weighs 385 pounds -- fell 22 pounds behind after the snatch. That forced him to try a lift 27 1/2 pounds more than anyone else converted in the clean and jerk. Even for a man renowned for lifting big weights, this was too much.
By missing, Chemerkin not only didn't win, he dropped to fourth place.
Just as Chemerkin did to win in Atlanta, Rezazadeh had to set some world records on the way to win -- or, to be more precise, to break some world record records that had just been set.
He set a world record of 468 1/4 pounds (212.5 kg) in the snatch, then raised 573 pounds (260 kg) on a single lift in the clean and jerk to break Weller's overall record of 1,025 1/4 pounds (465 kg). The overall record also kept changing hands until Rezazadeh made his final lift of 573 pounds (260 kg) in the clean and jerk.
``The way the weights kept going up ... it was like a lottery,'' Weller said.
And Weller didn't win. He now has three Olympic medals since he was seriously injured and his wife was killed in a car accident in 1989. He got the gold at 242 1/2 pounds (110 kg) in 1992.
``It was Chemerkin in '96,'' Weller said. ``And it was tough again this time.''
Rezazadeh set his record of 468 1/4 pounds (212.5 kg) in the snatch only after Danielyan (457 1/4 pounds, 207.5 kg) and Weller (462 3/4 pounds, 210 kg) broke it before him.
``When you realize what the weights are ... it's like I'm lifting on a different planet,'' Weller said.
U.S. champion Shane Hamman set national records for the snatch and total lift while finishing 11th.
Hamman broke his U.S. record in the snatch, lifting 429 3/4 pounds (195 kg) -- or 16 1/2 pounds more than the record 413 1/4 pounds (187.5) during the Olympic trials.
He did not break his record of 507 pounds (230 kg) in the clean and jerk set during the trials, missing twice at 512 1/2 pounds (232.5 kg) after lifting 496 pounds (225 kg).
Hamman's total lift of 925 3/4 pounds (420 kg) broke his U.S. record of 920 1/4 pounds (417.5 kg).
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