When it comes to rising stars in the sport of weightlifting, one young man, Karlos Nasar, cannot be overlooked by anyone. Despite being just 19-years-old, Karlos has taken it upon himself to carry on the incredible legacy of Bulgarian weightlifting. Despite the country’s incredible history, Karlos is still managing to portray himself as one of the greatest ever. This is becoming clearer with every new appearance, the most recent of which came at the 2023 IWF Grand Prix II. The competition is taking place from December 4-12, in Doha, Qatar, and Karlos displayed one of the greatest lifts overall. He managed to Clean and Jerk 223 kilograms (491.6 pounds) for a new World Record in the 89–kilogram weight class.
When the time came for athletes to perform the clean and jerk event, Karlos Nasar decided to open up with a 205 kilogram (451.9 pounds) lift. As always, he made it look easy and quickly turned his focus to the second attempt of 211 kilograms (465.2 pounds). That is where things got interesting, as Karlos crushed the lift, proving that there is plenty left in the tank.
For his third and final attempt, Karlos Nasar decided to take the ultimate risk, which also had the greatest potential payout. He loaded 223 kilograms (491.6 pounds) on the barbell, a weight that was never lifted by an athlete in his weight class. To accomplish this feat, Karlos only put on a lifting belt and knee sleeves. He grabbed the bar, started pulling, and soon found himself in a front squat position. After successfully locking out the Clean, he paused for a second before going for the Jerk. Then, Karlos lifted the weight over his head, stabilized himself, and walked away with a new World Record.
*Previous U89KG World Record C&J: 222-kg (489.4-lb) by Tian Tao from 2023 Asian Weightlifting Championships
Watch the lift here:
Karlos Nasar’s Full Performance
Snatch
- 165 kilograms (363.8 pounds)
- 170 kilograms (374.8 pounds)
- Unsuccessful — 175 kilograms (385.8 pounds)
Clean & Jerk
- 205 kilograms (451.9 pounds)
- 211 kilograms (465.2 pounds)
- 223 kilograms (491.6 pounds) — U89KG World Record
Total — 393 kilograms (866.4 pounds)
Karlos Nasar had a very great outing, having only missed his final Snatch attempt. However, if he was successful in that as well, his Total would have exceeded the current 396-kilogram (873-pound) Total World Record of Li Dayin.
Karlos Nasar had injured his leg in the first half of 2023, which is why the new Clean & Jerk World Record came as a surprise. It was unclear how he would recover, but he clearly did not need much time. In fact, Nasar took part in the 2023 IWF Grand Prix II just a few months after his injury and still won the 89-kilogram weight class.
Karlos Nasar is back to his best already, which no one could have anticipated just a few months ago. Luckily, his injury did not leave any severe long-term effects on him. So, there is no doubt that he will continue breaking records in his upcoming appearances as well.
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