Source: Mehr News Agency

International Weightlifting Federation has announced the voting for the best weightlifter of the year for 2012. Behdad Salimi, Iranian weight lifter in +105kg category, is the only Iranian representative among the candidates.

Behdad Salimi

In women's section, China and Kazakhstan each has 3 candidates, and North Korea has a candidate. In men's' section, China again has 2 candidates, North Korea, 2 candidates, and Iran, Kazakhstan, Poland, and Ukraine each has one candidate.

Last week Behdad Salimi won the top place in the category +105kg weightlifters. Sohrab Moradi also won the first place in 85kg category. He has not been nominated in the Lifter of the Year event by the International Weightlifting Federation.

The deadline for voting is January, 20 2013, and internet users can vote for their favorite weightlifters by going on the official website.

Khadzhimurat Akkaev, Russian winner of Paris 2011 World Power-lifting Championships with a total of 430kg won all 3 gold medals of the category. During last year's event, he scored 3779 points from his 391 votes was selected Lifter of the Year 2011, seizing the opportunity out of Salimi's hands to win the title. Salimi improved on the snatch world record in the category and won all 3 gold.

In 2010 Salimi won the Lifter of the Year held in Antalya, Turkey.

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