Siamand Rahman named Allianz Athlete of the Month - October 2014
10.11.2014The Iranian powerlifter received over 60 per cent of the vote after he broke his own world record three times at the Incheon 2014 Asian Para Games
Siamand Rahman proved his worth as one of the strongest Paralympians by lifting 285.5kg in the men's +107kg to beat team mate and world record holder Mansour Pourmirzaei at the 2014 IPC Powerlifting World Championships.
© • IPC
Iranian powerlifter Siamand Rahman has been named the Allianz Athlete of the Month for October 2014 after his incredible performance at the Incheon 2014 Asian Para Games in South Korea.
The world’s strongest Paralympian made history at the competition, breaking his own world record three times on his way to gold in the men’s over 107kg category.
Over the course of the competition, he added 7kg to his previous best, to finish with a final lift of 292.0kg.
Rahman received 63.9 per cent of the public vote to finish ahead of his compatriot, shooter Sareh Javanmardidodmani, who received 34.3 per cent of the vote after breaking two world records on her way to double gold in the P2 (women’s 10m pistol SH1) and P4 (mixed 50m pistol SH1) in Incheon.
Gambian athletics star Demba Jarju came third, after he became the first wheelchair racer to win the Gambian Marathon. He was also using a chair donated by the Agitos Foundation, the International Paralympic Committee’s development arm.
Rahman also beat China’s Rong Jing, who won three wheelchair fencing gold medals in Incheon, Thailand’s Sakhorn Khanthasit, who beat Japan’s world No.1 Yui Kamiji as she retained her wheelchair tennis Asian Para Games title, and Chinese swimmer Furong Lin, who won six gold medals in Incheon.
Rahman, 26, took up the sport of powerlifting in Oshnavieh, Iran, after the recommendation of his family and coaches that his physique was well suited to the sport.
He first introduced himself on the international stage with gold in the men’s over 100kg category at the 2010 Asian Para Games in Guangzhou, China.
In the same year, he also won silver in the same category at the IPC Powerlifting World Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
His first Paralympic title was to follow, with the over 100kg gold at the London 2012 Paralympic Games in Great Britain, with a Paralympic record of 280.0kg.
At the 2014 IPC Powerlifting World Championships in Dubai, UAE, he set a world record of 285.0kg as he won the men’s over 107kg category.
