Record-breaking lifter pride of Iran

ATHENS — A country without cynicism for sport. An athlete without greed.

"He loves his country, and we love him," said Arash Zamayeri. "He would never sell us out."

I can't imagine any American athlete ever being as universally adored as Hossein Rezazadeh is by the people of Iran.

I was sitting next to the reporters from the Iran sports news agency last night at the Olympic weightlifting venue near the port of Pireaus.

They both wore T-shirts with the reproduction of an Iranian stamp of Rezazadeh across their backs. They videotaped his lifts, and one of them, who had shouted "masha Allah" when Rezazadeh broke the world record, actually sat next to me and wept.

"We wouldn't exchange 100 medals for this one," said Malsam Zamanabadi, manager of the news agency. "Our people will be in the streets tonight."

He explained that "masha Allah" meant "with God's help," although it wasn't obvious that Rezazadeh needed any help. He was not only the strongest man on the planet, but he intimidated his competition like no other individual at the Olympic Games.

Both of the competitors who finished behind him — Viktors Scerbatihs of Latvia and Velichko Cholakov of Bulgaria — admitted they hadn't even considered trying to win the gold medal.

"He is what he is," said Scerbatihs, "and that is unbeatable. No one will have much chance to overtake him."

I saw Vassily Alekseyev of the Soviet Union in the Munich Olympics, a monster of a man, who didn't lose a title from 1970 to 1978, who embodied the Big Bear of the Soviet Union.

Rezazadeh is more teddy bear, who, despite his 350 pounds of bulge in a blue bodysuit, has a countenance that is decidedly sweet, in direct contrast to all the grunting and groaning going on by the other lifters.

In trying to stay with him, Scerbatihs' cheeks were puffed out and his gut was trembling. Rezazadeh, meanwhile, was calmly saying a prayer to the prophet Abolfazi, and talking to his buddies in the crowd as he broke the world record.

He hoisted 581 pounds in the clean and jerk, more than anyone has done in the Olympics, and as a world record maybe more than anyone has ever lifted.

"I think it was a good performance," Rezazadeh said through an interpreter. "I came full of strength and I aimed for an Olympic medal."

When he won in Sydney four years ago, he was the first non-Soviet or Russian to win the unlimited lifting title since 1960. He holds all the records, and, in Iran, all the hearts.

His wedding was on national television.

"He is a gentle giant," said Zamayeri, an Iranian from Sweden, "and he isn't like the Bulgarians who are willing to sell themselves to Qatar."

"He's what you call a good guy."

When both Turkey and Greece came after him about lifting for their countries instead, he declined.

"They offered him $20 million," said the reporter. And he said, 'No, I will stay here forever.' "

But it isn't as if he lacks compensation in Iran. After Sydney, he was given 600 million rials ($71,400) for a new house. They also named a branch of the national bank after him.

All the fuss about weightlifting? In Iran, they have a weightlifting league, with seven teams per league, and 18 lifters per team.

Rezazadeh has lifted for Saipa, one of Iran's car manufacturers. There is a salary for competing and bonuses for winning. Matches can draw 10,000 fans.

There were clusters of flag-waving Iranians last night, but, surprisingly, the Weightlifting Hall was not filled to capacity. A Greek wasn't lifting, and maybe the Americans didn't think their 350-pound giant, Shane Hamman, had much of a chance. As it turned out, he didn't.

Hamman, who holds the American record, finished seventh, bettering a 10th-place finish in Sydney.

At 5 feet 9, shorter than the Iranian, who is 6-1, Hamman is a good enough athlete that he can dunk a basketball and hit a golf ball 350 yards. He is distinguished by a 5-inch braided goatee on his chin.

"I really thought I had a chance to medal this time," he said. "It just wasn't my night."

Weightlifting, of course, is dogged by drugs. Hamman said he was once asked to submit a urine test while in a 7-Eleven.

After getting his medal, Rezazadeh said he didn't do drugs.

"Our religion doesn't allow it," he said.

No country would be as heartbroken and negative if an athlete tested positive than Iran would be about Rezazadeh.

"He is our hero," said the reporter from the Iran sports news agency.

Frankly, after identifying myself as an American, I wondered if Zamanabadi would want to talk to me. He did, of course, and when the interview ended, he smiled warmly, and gave me a handful of toasted pistachio nuts.

Only at the Olympic Games.

Blaine Newnham: 206-464-2364 or bnewnham@seattletimes.com.