Iran’s Golden Generation Delivers 56 Medals in Tashkent
TEHRAN -- Iran delivered a
historic and powerful performance at the 2026 Asian Youth & Junior Weightlifting Championships, held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from August 7-14.
The Iranian delegation across both youth and junior categories amassed a remarkable total of 56 medals (28 gold, 13 silver, 15 bronze).
This dominant showing saw both the men’s and women’s youth teams secure runner-up positions in the team standings, while the junior teams achieved historic third-place finishes.
Key Medalists and Record-Breaking Performances
Men’s Division
Muhammad Javad Beiranvand (75kg)
Beiranvand, 16, was the star of the competition. Competing in the men’s 75kg category, he won all three disciplines (snatch, clean & jerk, total) across the youth, junior, and Central Asian classifications, resulting in a phenomenal haul of nine gold medals. He also broke three youth world records:
Snatch World Record: 145 kg
Clean & Jerk World Record: 180 kg
Total World Record: 325 kg
Hamidreza Zarei (95kg)
Zarei dominated the junior 95kg category, winning three gold medals. He set a new world record in the clean & jerk with a lift of 214 kg and finished with a winning total of 378 kg.
Taha Nojavani (+95kg)
Competing in the youth super-heavyweight category, Nojavani also claimed three gold medals. He set multiple Asian and world youth records with a snatch of 176 kg and a clean & jerk of 215 kg, leading to a record total of 391 kg.
Other Notable Performers:
Muhammadamin Dadvand (85kg): Won gold in the clean & jerk and total, plus silver in the snatch.
Pouria Abbaspourian (+95kg): Claimed three silver medals in the youth category.
Reza Zamani (70kg): Secured Iran’s first gold of the championships, along with additional bronze medals.
Women’s Division
Mahsa Beheshti (+77kg / Junior 86kg)
Beheshti put on a dominant display, initially winning the youth +77kg category with a snatch of 113 kg and a clean & jerk of 148 kg for a total of 261 kg. These marks were sufficient for her to also claim all three gold medals in the junior 86kg category, giving her a total of six gold medals and earning her the title of the competition’s strongest woman.
Anahita Zarei (77kg)
Zarei had a successful campaign, winning two gold medals (clean & jerk and total) and a bronze in the snatch in the youth category.
Nasim Ghasemi (77kg)
Ghasemi added to the medal tally by winning one gold (snatch) and two silver medals in the youth competition.
Hasti Sedighi (69kg)
Sedighi secured Iran’s first women’s gold of the tournament by winning the clean & jerk event in the junior 69kg division.
Team Standings and Overall Success
The strong individual performances translated into significant team success: