On the afternoon of September 4 (Vietnam time), in Paris (France), weightlifter Le Van Cong competed in the men’s 49kg category of Paris 2024 Paralympics.
In his first lift, Le Van Cong registered a weight of 171kg and easily succeeded, ranking third. Ranked ahead of him were Abdullah Kayapinar (Turkey), who successfully lifted 172kg, and Omar Qarada (Jordan), who lifted 175kg. At the Tokyo Paralympics 2020, both Le Van Cong and Omar Qarada successfully lifted 173kg, but the Jordanian weightlifter won the gold medal due to being 100 grams lighter than Le Van Cong.
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Athlete Le Van Cong successfully lifts 171kg. (Screenshot) |
At Paris 2024 Paralympics, Omar Qarada successfully lifted 177kg in his second attempt, continuing to lead. Abdullah Kayapinar surprised many by successfully lifting 176kg, while Le Van Cong failed to lift 176kg.
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Final results in the men's 49kg category at Paris 2024 Paralympics. (Screenshot) |
With outstanding performances compared to other competitors, the medal competition took place between Omar Qarada, Le Van Cong, and Abdullah Kayapinar. In the third lift, Abdullah Kayapinar registered 180kg and succeeded. Le Van Cong attempted 181kg but failed. Meanwhile, Omar Qarada successfully lifted 181kg. In the end, Omar Qarada won the gold medal with a 181kg lift, Abdullah Kayapinar claimed the silver medal with a 180kg lift, and Le Van Cong won the bronze medal with a 171kg lift.
After winning their medals, Omar Qarada and Abdullah Kayapinar both attempted to break the world and Paralympic records. Abdullah Kayapinar registered 184kg but failed, while Omar Qarada also failed at 185kg. As a result, the Paralympic record (183kg) and the world record (183.5kg), set by Le Van Cong in 2016 and 2017, remain intact.
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Athlete Le Van Cong (far right) receives the bronze medal. (Screenshot) |
Le Van Cong's bronze medal helped the Vietnam Paralympic Team temporarily rank 68th on the overall medal tally. As of 6:30 p.m. on September 4, the top three teams on the overall medal tally were China (55 gold, 41 silver, 23 bronze medals), the United Kingdom (31 gold, 19 silver, 13 bronze medals), and the United States (24 gold, 22 silver, 11 bronze medals).
Translated by Chung Anh