BEIJING - Iranian athletes continued their winning ways at the Beijing Paralympics on Tuesday by winning two gold medals, one silver medal, and two bronze medals.
Iranian heavy weightlifter Kazem Rajabi and discus thrower Mohammad-Reza Mirzaei took home gold medals, while discus thrower Mehrdad Karimzadeh won a silver medal, heavy weightlifter Alireza Salmani Sadiqzadeh secured a bronze medal, and Iran's 7-a-side football team won a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics.
Iranian Kazem Rajabi won the gold medal in the powerlifting competition when he lifted 257.5 kilos and broke his own Paralympics and world record at Beijing's BUAA Gymnasium on Tuesday.
Rajabi tried one more time, hoisting 265 kg to exceed the Olympic weightlifting record of Hossein Rezazadeh, who lifted 263.5 kg in the clean jerk in the 2004 Athens Olympics but retired just before the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
At the ripe old age of 43, Iranian discus thrower Mohammad-Reza Mirzaei bagged the gold medal with a throw of 40.84 meters in class F57 at the "Bird's Nest" National Stadium.
With this gold, Iran's gold medal tally has reached five.
Powerlifters Kazem Rajabi and Hamzeh Mohammadi, javelin thrower Javad Hardani, discus thrower Mohammad-Reza Mirzaei, and the sitting volleyball team have all won gold medals at the Beijing Paralympics.
South Africa's Oscar Pistorius completed his gold-medal haul at the Paralympics on Tuesday, winning the 400 meters to go with sprint victories in the 100 and 200, the Associated Press reported.
The double amputee known as "The Blade Runner" finished in 47.49 seconds, a world record for his disability class.
Jim Bob Bizzell of the United States won the silver medal at the Bird's Nest National Stadium, the venue for Olympic track and field. Ian Jones of Britain took the bronze.
Pistorius was cleared in May to run in the Beijing Olympics by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. This followed a decision by track and field's governing body that said he was ineligible.
He then failed to make the Olympic qualifying standard in the 400. He needed to run 45.55, and his best time was 46.25 run against able-bodied athletes.
Pistorius' next goal is to qualify for the world championships next year in Berlin, where he would face able-bodied runners. He also is looking toward the London 2012 Olympics.
"I've got a lot of work to do before that," he said. "I have five or six able-bodied meets in Europe next year and those are all stepping stones to get to the bigger meets and perform there. I'm looking forward to next year's calendar and next four years."
Pistorius, who won gold in the 200 in the Athens Paralympics, runs on carbon-fiber blades. He was born without a fibula, a bone in the lower leg, and both legs were amputated below the knees when he was 11 months old.
Away from the Bird's Nest, Ukraine defeated Russia 2-1 in seven-per-team soccer to win the gold medal. Volodymyr Antonyuk scored twice for Ukraine and Lasha Murvanadze had Russia's only goal. Iran defeated Brazil 4-0 in the bronze-medal game.
In the wheelchair rugby final, the U.S. defeated Australia 53-44. Canada took the bronze-medal game, beating Britain 47-41.
In the men's wheelchair basketball final, Australia beat Canada 72-60. Britain defeated the U.S. 85-77 for the bronze.
Speaking in Beijing on Tuesday, Sebastian Coe said London is ready to match -- or surpass -- the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics.
"It is a massive responsibility," said Coe, chairman of the organizing committee for the 2012 London Games. "We don't find it daunting... Beijing has delivered a spectacular games and we will also deliver a spectacular games."
© Tehran Times 2008
