Bulgaria's Karlos Nasar Claims World Weightlifting Title with Record-Breaking Performance

Karlos Nasar secured the world champion title in weightlifting in the men’s 89 kg category at the World Championships in Manama, Bahrain, with two world records to his name. The Bulgarian athlete lifted 183 kg in the clean and jerk and achieved a combined total of 405 kg, breaking records in both disciplines. Despite an attempt to surpass his own clean and jerk record with 225 kg, Nassar was unable to stabilize the bar overhead.

Nasar began the competition in dominant fashion, delivering three flawless attempts in the snatch at 170 kg, 176 kg, and a record-breaking 183 kg. These performances gave him a commanding 10-kilogram lead over Marin Robu of Moldova, who finished the snatch phase in second place with 173 kg. Sarvarbek Zafarjonov of Uzbekistan secured third place in this discipline with 171 kg.

In the clean and jerk, Nassar opened with a successful lift of 210 kg before improving to 222 kg in his second attempt, breaking his own total record of 404 kg set at the Paris Olympic Games. His final attempt at 225 kg fell short, but his earlier lifts secured the gold medal. The battle for second place intensified, with an athlete from the DPRK lifting 218 kg, which propelled him to the silver medal with a total of 380 kg. Marin Robu’s 206 kg clean and jerk left him with a combined total of 379 kg and the bronze medal.

Nasar’s triumph marked a historic milestone for Bulgarian weightlifting. He became the first Bulgarian to win European, world, and Olympic titles within a single calendar year. The victory also added to his earlier world championship success in 2021, where he competed in the 81 kg category in Tashkent. In Bahrain, he brought home Bulgaria’s first medal of the championship and became the first European lifter to win a title in this year’s competition.

The competition also highlighted the strong performances of his rivals. The North Korean's impressive lifts in the clean and jerk helped him leapfrog Robu in the final standings, while Pan Yunhua of China rounded out the top performers with a 208 kg lift in the clean and jerk. Despite the intense competition, Nasar's commanding lead and record-breaking lifts solidified his place as one of the sport’s standout athletes.