adminRIO DE JANEIRO. — A furious Iran slammed Georgian lifter Lasha Talakhadze’s Olympic gold medal as a “conspiracy”, with riot police called to the Rio Games weightlifting venue as tensions boiled over. Iranian super heavyweight and favourite Behdad Salimikordasiabi crashed out of the men’s +105kg class after judges ruled he had failed to register a total in the clean and jerk.Defending champion Salimikordasiabi, known as “Salimi”, and his coach angrily remonstrated with officials for several minutes in the arena before the contest was finished as boisterous Iranian fans booed incessantly.
“There’s a conspiracy. Our enemies were on the jury,” irate Iranian coach Sajjad Anoushiravani told reporters, appearing to be referring to a judge from Iraq. — AFP.
Bongani Ndlovu