Le Van Cong of Vietnam won silver in the men's 49kg powerlifting event on Thursday. Photo courtesy of Vu Trong Hai

Defending champion Cong lifted 173kg which is as heavy as Omar Sami Hamadeh Qarada from Jordan. But Cong is about 100 grams heavier than his arch-rival so finished in second place. Qarada came behind Cong at the Rio Olympics five years ago.

Parvin Mammadov of Azerbaijan won bronze with a lift of 156kg.

Le Van Cong of Vietnam (left) poses with his medal on Thursday. Photo courtesy of Vu Trong Hai

Cong, who is holding the world record at 183.5kg, could not defend his title but the result is still an amazing achievement for the 37-year-old lifter who did not believe he could be in top three because of injuries before the games.

In an exclusive interview with Việt Nam News recently, Cong said he is suffering a combo of shoulder injuries which prevented him from performing at his best.

The world-class athlete did not train in three months from March to June because of his pains. He just lifted from 150kg to 158kg during practises.

Cong was born with a number of deformities to his legs, which developed because of an illness to his mother while she was pregnant. 

Source: Vietnam News

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