Siamand Rahman

Siamand Rahman (Persian: سیامند رحمان‎; 21 March 1988 – 1 March 2020) was an Iranian Paralympic powerlifter. He won gold medals at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio and the 2010 Asian Para Games in Guangzhou. He is the current IPC Powerlifting World Record holder in the +107 kg category with a 310.0 kilograms (683.4 lb) bench press and also holds the junior world record with 290.0 kilograms (639.3 lb) and the Paralympic Championship Record with 310.0 kilograms (683.4 lb). Siamand died on 1 March 2020 due to cardiac arrest.

Rahman began his career in Oshnavieh, Iran, supported by his family and coach Ali Asghar in 2008. He appeared on world stage for the first time at the 2010 IPC Powerlifting World Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he competed in men’s +100 kg category and bench pressed 260.0 kilograms (573.2 lb) to win the silver medal, losing only to teammate Karem Rajabi Golojeh. He set a new IPC Powerlifting World Record in the +100 kg category on his fourth lift with a 285.0 kilograms (628.3 lb) bench press, but unfortunately it did not count toward his medal performance.

Months later, Rahman won the gold medal at the 2010 Asian Para Games in Guangzhou, China and broke the IPF Senior World Record again in the +100 kg category with a lift of 290.0 kilograms (639.3 lb) on December 18, despite still being eligible for the junior category.

He broke his own world record once more, lifting 291.0 kilograms (641.5 lb) at a competition in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates on December 4, 2011.

The 24-year-old Rahman won gold at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, breaking the Paralympic championship record of 265 kilograms (584 lb) that was previously held by Iranian teammate Golojeh with his first lift of 270.0 kilograms (595.2 lb) and broke it again with his second attempt of 280.0 kilograms (617.3 lb). Although he failed lifting 301 kilograms (664 lb) on his third attempt due to uneven lockout, Rahman claimed he has hit that mark in training many times and hoped to continue breaking his own records during the next Paralympic cycle. With his successful lift of 280 kilograms (620 lb) Rahman proved to be the strongest man in Paralympic history - he was 38 kg beyond Faris Al-Ajeeli, who claimed the silver medal by lifting 242 kilograms (534 lb).

Despite his disability and very young age Rahman was also relatively close to breaking the open all-time raw world record (disabled or not) of 335 kilograms (739 lb) by Kirill Sarychev and had expressed goals of bench pressing in excess of 350 kilograms (770 lb) and even becoming the first man to bench press 400 kilograms (880 lb) in competition. Rahman is the first Paralympic lifter who has bench pressed 600 pounds (270 kg).

Following the 2016 Paralympics, Rahman was named Best Male at the Paralympic Sport Awards.

Personal records

Powerlifting competition records:

done in official powerlifting meets

• Raw Bench press – 291.0 kg (641.5 lb) (+100 kg category) raw without wrist wraps or a belt (2011-12-04)

Powerlifting gym records (unofficial):

done in the gym (based on video footage)

• Raw Bench press – 310 kg (680 lb)