With roughly six weeks until the 2024 Olympics, Bulgarian weightlifter Karlos Nasar is looking approximately unstoppable. When the qualification period commenced in 2022, Nasar was one of many names in the conversation for gold in Paris — nowadays he’s the favorite.
On Friday, Jun. 28, 2024, news spread across social media that Nasar had lifted another unofficial world record…or three.
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According to an Instagram post by Sika Strength who received footage of Nasar lifting at the Bulgarian national weightlifting championships, Nasar snatched 183 kilograms, clean & jerked 225 kilograms, and Totaled 408 kilograms — a trio of unofficial world records.
Karlos Nasar: Unofficial World Records
Nasar’s consistent progress comes after months of dominating the international weightlifting scene, including a 226-kilogram unofficial world record from earlier in the summer.
Per Nasar’s Instagram, he did in fact hit the following numbers at the Bulgarian Olympic weightlifting meet:
- Snatch: 183 kilograms (403.4 pounds)
- Clean & Jerk: 225 kilograms (496 pounds)
- Total: 408 kilograms (899.4 pounds)
Additionally, Nasar took another shot at a 230-kilogram clean & jerk, though he was reportedly unsuccessful.
Here are the current 89-kilogram Senior world records:
- Snatch: 182 kilograms | Yeison Lopez (Colombia)
- Clean & Jerk: 223 kilograms | Karlos Nasar (Bulgaria)
- Total: 396 kilograms | Li Dayin (China)
In Context
Nasar suffered a grievous ankle injury in mid-2023 that had fans worried the young prodigy would not have enough time to end the Paris qualification period on a high note, potentially jeopardizing his campaign to appear in this year’s Olympics.
Come the end of 2023, though, Nasar had made a full recovery, capping the year with a win at the IWF Grand Prix II in December. He went on to win his next two meets in 2024 as well, the European Championships on his home turf in Sofia, Bulgaria, and then the IWF World Cup in April.
It’s safe to say 20-year-old Nasar has all the momentum in the world. Beyond his hot hands, Nasar’s 408-kilogram unofficial Total record — these records won’t be ratified because they weren’t set in an International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) event — is on the cusp of the historic best light-heavyweight athletes in the world.
Here are the prior world record Totals from previous eras of weightlifting (the current 89-kilogram division was established in 2018):
- 94KG: 417 | Sohrab Moradi (Iran)
- 91KG: 412.5 | Alexey Petrov (Russia)
- 90KG: 422.5 | Viktor Solodov (Soviet Union)
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Having just turned 20 on May 12 of this year, Nasar’s career is still in its relative infancy. Look for him to make a big statement when he competes in the 2024 Olympics Men’s 89-kilogram event on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024.
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Featured Image: @sikastrength / Instagram
