The bar was loaded to 310kg.
One lift stood between Siamand Rahman and a place in sporting history.
Inside Pavilion 2 at Rio’s Riocentro on 14 September 2016, the late Iranian Para powerlifting star lowered himself onto the bench for the final lift of the men’s over 107kg competition. Already guaranteed gold and already the first athlete to break the 300kg barrier, Rahman had one final opportunity to push the limits of what was possible.
Moments later, he pressed 310kg.
The lift secured his second Paralympic gold medal, shattered the world record for a third time that day and cemented his status as one of the greatest athletes in Paralympic history.
Ten years on from the Rio 2016 Paralymic Games, Rahman’s remarkable achievement remains one of Para powerlifting’s defining moments.
The day
Wednesday, 14 September 2016 marked the final day of the Para powerlifting competition at the Rio Paralympic Games, the first Paralympics ever staged in Latin America.
The day’s programme featured three medal events, beginning with the men’s up to 107kg in the morning. The women’s over 86kg followed before the men’s over 107kg brought the seven-day Para powerlifting programme to a close.
The Pavilion 2 in Riocentro was one of the main sporting hubs of Rio 2016 and a venue that also hosted Olympic weightlifting events earlier that year.
By the time the session began, anticipation was high. The spotlight was firmly on Rahman, who had already established himself as the dominant athlete in the sport.
The man to beat
Rahman arrived in Rio as the reigning Paralympic champion, world champion and world record holder in the men’s over 107kg category.
Earlier that year, he had lifted 296kg at the Dubai World Cup, raising expectations that he could once again push the boundaries of what was considered possible in Para powerlifting.
Seven athletes stood between Rahman and another Paralympic title: Ahmed Albaloushi of the United Arab Emirates, Egypt’s Amr Mosaad, Jordan’s Jamil Elshebli, South Korea’s Keunbae Chun, Greece’s Konstantinos Dimou, Marek Kamzik of Slovakia and Hungary’s Sandor Sas.
Yet all eyes remained fixed on the Iranian giant.
A record-breaking display
Rahman wasted little time asserting his dominance.
His opening lift of 270kg set a new Paralympic record and immediately put him in control of the competition. But he was not satisfied with simply winning gold.
In his second attempt, Rahman made history by becoming the first Para powerlifter to successfully lift 300kg, setting a new world record and breaking through a barrier many believed was beyond reach.
The feat alone would have guaranteed his place in the sport’s history books. Instead, Rahman went even further.
He continued to rewrite the record books, successfully lifting 305kg before producing an incredible 310kg in his final power lift. The achievement added 14kg to his previous world record and capped one of the most extraordinary performances ever seen at a Paralympic Games.
Weighing the equivalent of more than three baby elephants, the 310kg lift cemented Rahman’s reputation as the strongest Paralympian in the world.
What he said
“The first moment stuck in my memory thinking of Rio’s Paralympics is when I returned into the arena that day to raise the bar with 300 kilos. The second refers to when I lifted 310 weights which was an amazing moment in Rio, knowing the importance of it.”
“Hearing my parents’ voice on the phone after making history; also, the happiness generated within the Iranian people can be considered as one of the rarest moments I lived in Rio.”
A lasting legacy
While 14 September 2016 remains one of the most celebrated days in Para powerlifting history, 1 March 2020 became one of its saddest.
The sport was left in shock by the news that Rahman had passed away at the age of 31 in his hometown of Oshnavieh, Iran.
Paying tribute to the two-time Paralympic champion, IPC President Andrew Parsons said:
“Siamand was a pioneer for his sport, an inspiration for many in his home country Iran and around the world, and a fantastic ambassador for the Paralympic Movement. He was also a wonderful human being, a gentle giant and one of the friendliest people you could ever meet.”
Rahman’s achievements extended far beyond Rio. Following his Paralympic triumph, he added two more world titles to his collection, winning gold at Mexico City 2017 and Nur-Sultan 2019.
Yet it is his performance in Rio that remains etched in Paralympic history. A decade on, the 310kg lift continues to stand as a symbol of excellence and the relentless pursuit of greatness.
You can relive the men’s over 107kg competition and Rahman’s historic performance on the Paralympic Games YouTube channel.
