Hossein Rezazadeh

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Hossein Rezazadeh

| image = Hossein Rezazadeh by Mardetanha 4014.JPG

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1978|05|12|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Ardabil, Iran

| order1 = Member of City Council of Tehran

| term_start1 = 3 September 2013

| term_end1 = 22 August 2017

| deputy1 =

| predecessor1 =

| successor1 =

| party = Front of Islamic Revolution Stability

| module =

{{Infobox sportsperson |embed= yes

| name = Hossein Rezazadeh

| image =

| imagesize = 220px

| caption =

| nationality = {{flag|IRN|name=Iranian}}

| height = {{convert|186|cm|ftin|abbr=on}}{{cite web|title=Hossein Rezazadeh|url=http://www.persian-fighters.com/english/Biography-10-1344265851-Hossein%20Rezazadeh|website=persian-fighters.com|publisher=Persian Fighters|access-date=11 June 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714175321/http://www.persian-fighters.com/english/Biography-10-1344265851-Hossein%20Rezazadeh|archive-date=14 July 2014}}

| weight = {{convert|152|kg|lb|abbr=on}}

| website =

| country =

| sport = Weightlifting

| event = +105 kg

| club =

| turnedpro =

| coach =

| retired =

| coaching =

| pb = {{unbulleted list|Snatch: 213 kg (2003)|Clean and jerk: 263.5 kg (2004)|Total: 472.5 kg (2000)}}

|medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Men's weightlifting}}

{{MedalCountry|{{IRN}}}}

File:Olympic rings.svg

| show-medals = y

}}

Hossein Rezazadeh ({{langx|fa|حسین رضازاده}}; born 12 May 1978) is an Iranian politician and retired weightlifter. Rezazadeh is a two-time Olympic champion, four-time World Weightlifting champion, and five-time Asian champion. Rezazadeh has won the Iran Sportsperson of the Year award four times, more than any other athlete in the country's history. Rezazadeh is widely considered one of the greatest weightlifters of all time.

Weightlifting career

Before the International Weightlifting Federation reorganized the categories in 2018, he held the world record in weightlifting's super heavyweight class in the clean and jerk. He is also one of Iran's most noted celebrities, frequently appearing on television and in the news; his wedding, which was held in the holy city of Mecca, in February 2003 was broadcast live on state television in Iran.{{cite news|url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/25/AR2008072503002.html|title= Iran's Stars, Erased From the Billboards|newspaper= The Washington Post|date= 2008-07-26|access-date= 2008-12-12|author= Erdbrink, Thomas}}

In 2002 he was voted the "Champion of Champions" of Iran and was one of 16 Iranian athletes granted a badge of courage from Iranian President Mohammad Khatami. As a reward for setting a world record in the clean and jerk at the 2002 World Weightlifting Championships in Warsaw, Poland, Mohammad Khatami awarded him 600 million rials (a little more than US$60,000 at the time) to buy a house in Tehran. After his spectacular performance, he was offered by Turkey's Weightlifting Federation a stipend of US$20,000 a month, as well as a luxury villa and US$10 million reward if he switched nationalities and won gold for Turkey at the 2004 Athens Olympics, but he turned down their offer. Rezazadeh rejected the tempting offer saying, "I am an Iranian and love my country and people."{{cite web |url=http://www.rediff.com/sports/2004/aug/24oly-lift1.htm |title=World's strongest man ready for more |access-date=2007-12-01 |year=2007 |work=Rediff.com }}{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/olympicsvideo/great-olympic-moments/9365980/Hossein-Rezazadeh-wins-Olympic-superheavyweight-weightlifting-Sydney-2000.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120726143308/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/olympicsvideo/great-olympic-moments/9365980/Hossein-Rezazadeh-wins-Olympic-superheavyweight-weightlifting-Sydney-2000.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 26, 2012 |title=Great Olympic Moments: Iranian weightlifter Hossein Rezazadeh dominates Sydney and Athens Games |date=2012-07-06|publisher=www.telegraph.co.uk}}

Rezazadeh surprised many at the 2000 Summer Olympics, earning a gold medal and breaking the decades-old monopoly on the gold by the Soviet Union and then Russia. His gold medal was the first since 1960 by a non-Soviet or non-Russian athlete in the over 105 kg class at a non boycotted Games. He broke his records in the clean and jerk at the 2004 Summer Olympics again leading up to 263.5 kg (580.9 pounds). His total (both lifts combined) at the 2004 Summer Olympics of 472.5 kg was 17.5 kg more than silver medalist Viktors Ščerbatihs. He has been named IWF World Weightlifter of the Year, and was shortlisted for weightlifter of the century.

Rezazadeh was also referred to by weightlifting commentators as "the strongest man in the world", primarily due to his world records in the olympics.

In 2006 the Rezazadeh Stadium was built in Rezazadeh's hometown of Ardabil. It was built to honour the achievements of Rezazadeh and is one of the most modern and innovative indoor arenas in Iran today.

In early 2008 Rezazadeh participated in a television commercial promoting a real estate agency based in Dubai. His participation surprised many of his fans and was seen as demeaning to both himself and his country, given the promotion of buying estates in a land deemed as a rival. This eventually led to the decision of the Iranian Majles to ban any sort of sponsorship from any high-profile Iranian - i.e. athlete, actor, singer - for any sort of product or service, due to the direct encouragement of product consumerism.

In 2008, Rezazadeh was advised by Dr. Mohammad Ali Shahi, his physician and medical athletic trainer, not to participate in the 2008 Olympics due to his severe hand injuries and his high blood pressure. To his fans' surprise and disappointment he officially announced in a letter read via National Iranian Television that he had accepted the advice.{{cite web|url=http://english.aljazeera.net/sport/2008/07/2008724145844470332.html|title=Iran's 'Hercules' out of Games|work=Al Jazeera|access-date=July 24, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317063233/https://www.aljazeera.com/sport/2008/07/2008724145844470332.html|archive-date=2012-03-17}} The next day Rezazdeh wrote another public letter announcing his retirement from professional weightlifting. He said "I am pretty sure that my fellow country men will repeat my accomplishments again and I hope my son Abulfazl will break my own records in future".

Immediately following his retirement Rezazdeh was appointed as the Prime Counselor for Iranian national weight lifting federation.

In September 2008, Rezazadeh was named manager and head coach of Iran's national weightlifting team.{{cite news|url= http://www.tehrantimes.com/Index_view.asp?code=177293|title= Rezazadeh named weightlifting manager|date= 2008-09-07|access-date= 2008-12-15|newspaper= Tehran Times}} In January 2009, he was blamed for positive results of the steroid tests of four Iranian weightlifters. Later on, one of the team members, Saeid Alihosseini accused him of using steroids in 2006.{{cite news|url= http://isna.ir/ISNA/NewsView.aspx?ID=News-1480378&Lang=P|title= "سارانداليف" به جاي رضازاده تست داد|date= 2010-01-26|access-date= 2010-01-27|publisher= ISNA|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100129034710/http://www.isna.ir/ISNA/NewsView.aspx?ID=News-1480378&Lang=P|archive-date= 2010-01-29}} Rezazadeh has publicly vowed to fight doping in weightlifting.{{Cite web|url=http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=210410|title = Rezazadeh vows to fight doping|date = 20 December 2009}}

Political career

Rezazadeh was elected as a member of City Council of Tehran in 2013 local elections.

Major result

{{cite web

|url=http://www.iat.uni-leipzig.de/datenbanken/dbgwh/daten.php?spid=517BD6D004B9479CB56405ECFE639166|title=Rezazadeh Hossein (IRI)|publisher= www.iat.uni-leipzig.de|access-date=2009-05-22}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.iwf.net/results/results-by-events/?event=4 |title=2004 Summer Olympics: +105 kg Men |access-date=2016-08-19 |archive-date=2018-07-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180709185646/http://www.iwf.net/results/results-by-events/?event=4 |url-status=dead }}

width=60 \| 1 ! width=60 \| 2 ! width=60 \| 3 ! width=60\|Result ! width=45\|Rank ! width=60 \| 1 ! width=60 \| 2 ! width=60 \| 3 ! width=60\|Result ! width=45\|Rank
class = "wikitable" style="text-align:center;" ! rowspan=2 width=40\|Year ! rowspan=2 width=250\|Venue ! rowspan=2 width=60\|Weight !colspan=5\| Snatch (kg) !colspan=5\| Clean & jerk (kg) !rowspan=2 width=60\| Total !rowspan=2 width=40\| Rank
colspan=15\|Olympic Games
2000	align=left\| {{flag icon\|AUS}} Sydney, Australia	+105 kg	205.0	~~210.0~~	212.5	212.5	1	250.0	255.0	260.0	260.0	2	472.5	{{Gold1}}
2004	align=left\| {{flag icon\|GRE}} Athens, Greece	+105 kg	200.0	207.5	210.0	210.0	1	250.0	~~263.5~~	263.5	262.5	1	472.5{{ref label\|a\|a\|a}}	{{Gold1}}
colspan=15\|World Championships
1999	align=left\| {{flag icon\|GRE}} Athens, Greece	+105 kg	~~200.0~~	200.0	206.0	205.0	{{silver2}}	242.5	~~252.5~~	~~252.5~~	242.5	5	447.5	{{Bronze3}}
2002	align=left\| {{flag icon\|POL}} Warsaw, Poland	+105 kg	200.0	205.0	210.0	210.0	{{Gold1}}	252.5	263.0	—	262.5	{{Gold1}}	472.5	{{Gold1}}
2003	align=left\| {{flag icon\|CAN}} Vancouver, Canada	+105 kg	200.0	207.5	~~213.5~~	207.5	{{Silver2}}	250.0	~~263.5~~	—	250.0	{{Gold1}}	457.5	{{Gold1}}
2005	align=left\| {{flag icon\|QAT}} Doha, Qatar	+105 kg	201	205	210	210	{{Silver2}}	251	~~263~~	—	251	{{Gold1}}	461	{{Gold1}}
2006	align=left\| {{flag icon\|DOM}} Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic	+105 kg	196	202	~~206~~	202	{{Gold1}}	242	246	—	246	{{Gold1}}	448	{{Gold1}}
colspan=15\|Asian Games
1998	align=left\| {{flag icon\|THA}} Bangkok, Thailand	+105 kg	187.5			187.5	3	227.5			227.5	3	415.0	{{Bronze3}}
2002	align=left\| {{flag icon\|KOR}} Busan, South Korea	+105 kg	190.0	200.0	—	200.0	1	240.0	~~263.0~~	—	240.0	1	440.0	{{Gold1}}
2006	align=left\| {{flag icon\|QAT}} Doha, Qatar	+105 kg	185	190	195	195	1	230	—	—	230	1	425	{{Gold1}}
colspan=15\|Asian Championships
1999	align=left\| {{flagicon\|CHN}} Wuhan, China	+105 kg	200.0			200.0	{{Gold1}}	230.0			230.0	{{Gold1}}	430.0	{{Gold1}}
2003	align=left\| {{flagicon\|CHN}} Qinhuangdao, China	+105 kg	200.0	213.0	—	212.5	{{Gold1}}	250.0	—	—	250.0	{{Gold1}}	462.5	{{Gold1}}
2005	align=left\| {{flagicon\|UAE}} Dubai, United Arab Emirates	+105 kg	200			200	{{Gold1}}	260			260	{{Gold1}}	460	{{Gold1}}
colspan=15\|World Junior Championships
1998	align=left\| {{flagicon\|BUL}} Sofia, Bulgaria	+105 kg	160.0	170.0	~~172.5~~	170.0	6	~~205.0~~	~~210.0~~	~~210.0~~	—	—	—	—

=[[World record progression men's weightlifting (1998–2018)#+105 kg|World records]]=

{{cite web|url=http://www.iwf.net/doc/statistics/ANNUAL_BOOK_01_98.PDF|title=IWF annual book 2007|publisher=International Weightlifting Federation}}{{cite web|url=http://www.iwf.net/results/record_cur.php|title=World records: current|publisher=International Weightlifting Federation|access-date=2009-06-26|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090424110454/http://www.iwf.net/results/record_cur.php|archive-date=2009-04-24}}{{cite web|url=https://strengthrecord.com/weightlifting-world-records/ |title=STRENGTH RECORD, Weightlifting World Records |website=www.strengthrecord.com |access-date=15 April 2025}}

class = "wikitable" style="text-align:center;" ! Discipline !! Result (kg) !! Location !! Competition !! Date
colspan=6\|+105 kg
Snatch \|206.0 \|align=left\|{{flagicon\|GRE}} Athens \|World Championships \|28 November 1999
Snatch \|212.5 \|align=left\|{{flagicon\|AUS}} Sydney \|Olympic Games \|26 September 2000
Total \|467.5 \|align=left\|{{flagicon\|AUS}} Sydney \|Olympic Games \|26 September 2000
Total \|472.5 \|align=left\|{{flagicon\|AUS}} Sydney \|Olympic Games \|26 September 2000
Clean & jerk \|263.0 \|align=left\|{{flagicon\|POL}} Warsaw \|World Championships \|26 November 2002
Snatch \|213.0 \|align=left\|{{flagicon\|CHN}} Qinhuangdao \|Asian Championships \|14 September 2003
Clean & jerk \|263.5 \|align=left\|{{flagicon\|GRE}} Athens \|Olympic Games \|25 August 2004

class = "wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

! Discipline !! Result (kg) !! Location !! Competition !! Date

colspan=6|+105 kg

Snatch

|206.0

|align=left|{{flagicon|GRE}} Athens

|World Championships

|28 November 1999

Snatch

|212.5

|align=left|{{flagicon|AUS}} Sydney

|Olympic Games

|26 September 2000

Total

|467.5

|align=left|{{flagicon|AUS}} Sydney

|Olympic Games

|26 September 2000

Total

|472.5

|align=left|{{flagicon|AUS}} Sydney

|Olympic Games

|26 September 2000

Clean & jerk

|263.0

|align=left|{{flagicon|POL}} Warsaw

|World Championships

|26 November 2002

Snatch

|213.0

|align=left|{{flagicon|CHN}} Qinhuangdao

|Asian Championships

|14 September 2003

Clean & jerk

|263.5

|align=left|{{flagicon|GRE}} Athens

|Olympic Games

|25 August 2004

Notes and references

{{note label|a|a|a}} Before May 1, 2005, the totals in weightlifting were calculated by adding the result from the snatch and clean & jerk to the nearest 2.5 kg. This is why his 2004 Olympic performance adds up as 472.5 kg. 473.5 is not divisible by 2.5, thus it is rounded down to 472.5.{{cite web|url=https://www.iwf.net/news/news.html#01.05.2005/1|title=IWF News May 1st 2005|access-date=September 11, 2019|work=IWF.net|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050526001906/https://www.iwf.net/news/news.html#01.05.2005/1|archive-date=2005-05-26}}

External links

{{IWRP|11639|Hossein Rezazadeh}}
{{IWF|325|Hossein REZA ZADEH|athlete=reza-zadeh-hossein-1978-05-12|archive=20210414100524}}
{{Olympics.com|hossein-reza-zadeh|Hossein REZA ZADEH|org_archive=20190420162401}}
{{Olympedia|94941|Hossein Reza Zadeh}}

{{succession box|

before=New Award|

title=Iran Sportsperson of the year|

years=2000|

after=Hassan Rangraz

}}

{{succession box|

before=Hassan Rangraz|

title=Iran Sportsperson of the year|

years=2002–2003|

after=Hadi Saei

}}