TEHRAN - Iran had a 1-2 finish in both the heaviest men’s events on the final day of the 2025 World Youth and Junior Championships in Lima, Peru. The women’s winners on an all-juniors program were from Turkmenistan and Turkey.

Iran’s big four weighed in at 509kg and lifted a combined total of 1,556kg. 

At 109kg Alireza Nasiri has been making 230kg clean and jerks in training – enough for the junior world record – but he declined his final attempt after five good lifts and finished 30kg clear on 180-220-400.

Farhad Gholizadeh, who won the Asian youth title on his last international appearance two years ago, made 165-205-370 in second place.

“I was tired and because it was one lift straight after the other I didn’t feel ready for the world record today – but I know I can do it,” Nasiri said.

He lifted at 102kg last year, when he was second in the Asian Juniors to the junior world record holder Shahzadbek Matyakubov on 171-218-389. “I felt better at 102 but I wanted to come up in weight because I want to be going for gold at the Los Angeles Olympics,” said Nasiri. “The category will be 110 there. I am 19 and I can improve a lot in three years.”

The +109kg super-heavyweights Hamidreza Mohammaditanha and Taha Nemati made lower totals than Nasiri and have very little chance of making it to the Olympics in 2028.

Iran’s leading super-heavyweight, 21-year-old Alireza Yousefi, is training again after knee surgery three months ago and is hoping to lift at the World Championships in Norway in October. Then there is Ayat Sharifi, 24, who is entered for the Asian Championships in China starting this week.

Mohammaditanha made 181-213-394 and Nemati 180-212-392. They tried to make big jumps in clean and jerk and both failed with two of their attempts.

Andrii Borovskyi from Ukraine held on to third place at 109kg on 165-201-366 when Marcin Ziolkowski from Poland failed with his final clean and jerk attempt at 207kg.