Georgia Wins First Olympic Gold in Rio, Sets New World Record

RIO DE JANEIRO - Georgian weightlifter Lasha Talakhadze won the country's first gold medal at the Rio Olympic Games and set a new World Record in the Over 105-kilogram category.

Talakhadze, 22, went big on his final attempt by lifting 215 kilograms on the Snatch and 258 on the Clean and jJrk and broke the previous world record of 473 kilograms.

Salimi - nicknamed the 'Iranian Hercules' - set the world record for the Snatch with 216 kilograms, but was unable to complete any of his attempts on the Clean and Jerk.

With the victory, Georgia doubled its medal count as Talakhadze's teammate, Irakli Turmanidze, took home a bronze medal in the Over 105 kilogram category.

By Tamar Svanidze
Edited by Nicholas Waller

Photo: AP