Qatari weightlifter Meso Hassona has lost his chance to go for a world record at the 2024 IWF World Cup after suffering an injury in Phuket, the venue for the final 2024 Paris Olympic Games qualification opportunity.
The 96-kilogram Tokyo gold medalist said he was in great shape to “show the weightlifting world what [he] can do” when he suffered the injury. Hassona will not lift in the Men’s 102-kilogram Group A session on Apr. 8, but will weigh in to meet his eligibility for Paris.
Athletes must weigh in, participate in the pre-competition presentation, and make themselves available for anti-doping testing whenever they attend a qualifier. Lifting during the event is not required.
Meso Hassona | 2024 IWF World Cup Injury
The injury in question, a hip abductor strain, happened on Wednesday, Apr. 3, when Hassona went for a 230-kilogram clean & jerk in the training hall in Phuket.
“I felt some pain; something was wrong, and I was taken to hospital,” Hassona told BarBend.
“It’s badly bruised but not as serious as it could have been. The doctors said I should rest for a few weeks. I could train sooner, but the Olympics are too important, so I will rest for two to three weeks before I return to training,” says Hassona.
[Related: Opinion: The Sport of Weightlifting Sucks to Watch in 2024]
Can Meso Hassona Still Go to the Olympics?
Yes. Hassona said the following:
“I will be there. The only disappointment is that I wanted to show the world some big numbers here. I was hoping for more than 180 kilograms in the snatch, maybe 181-182, and I wanted 232 kilograms for the world record in the clean and jerk. I’m not going to get upset about it. This is weightlifting, and it can happen.”
[Related: Hampton Morris Sets America’s First Senior Men’s Weightlifting World Record in 50 Years]
2024 IWF World Cup | Men’s 102KG
Hassona is second in the Paris qualification rankings with a 400-kilogram Total behind Liu Huanhua from China, whose best is 404 kilograms. Akbar Djuraev from Uzbekistan became the third man to hit the 400-kilogram mark when he won gold at the 2024 Asian Championships in his home nation in February.
Djuraev, assured of a place in Paris, has decided to compete at 109 kilograms in Phuket. He said after his victory in February that he would target a 235-kilogram clean & jerk when he lifts in Paris.
- Liu Huanhua (CHN): Capable of a huge Total, as he showed at the Asian Games in October. Liu made 185-233-418 when he won at 109KG but weighed less than 102 kilograms (100.8 kilograms). There was no 102KG category at the Asian Games.
- Lesman Paredes (BRN): Paredes won Asian and World titles for Bahrain in 2022 before injuries kept him out of action. Paredes holds the 96KG snatch world record, and is back in good shape in training.
- Yauheni Tsikhantsou (INA): Tsikhantsou is the current European Champion who has improved his best Total by 18 kilograms throughout qualifying and can go beyond 400 kilograms on Monday.
More 2024 IWF World Cup News
- Weightlifter Ri Won Ju (67KG) Sets 189KG World Record Clean & Jerk at 2024 IWF World Cup
- Luo Shifang (59KG) Sets a New Total World Record of 248 Kilograms at the 2024 IWF World Cup
- Weightlifter Hou Zhihui (49KG) Sets 97KG Snatch World Record at 2024 IWF World Cup
- Weightlifter Won Hyon Sim (45KG) Sets Triple World Records at 2024 IWF World Cup
Disclaimer: Brian Oliver is an independent correspondent for BarBend. The views and opinions expressed on this site do not necessarily reflect his own. Oliver is not directly affiliated with any of BarBend’s existing media partnerships.
Featured Image: @mesohassona on Instagram
