Cong lifted the same weight of 173kg as gold medallist Omar Sami Hamadeh Qarada but settled for second place overall as he has a higher body weight than the Jordanian competitor.
The Vietnamese star began his Tokyo 2020 campaign as the reigning title holder. However, he had encountered numerous difficulties during the preparation process, suffering a shoulder injury in 2018 and needing two years to recover.
With little time for training due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cong was predicted to face huge challenges at the 2020 Games, especially in the -49kg category where he competed against strong opponents such as Omar Qarada (Jordan), Adesokan (Nigeria) and Kayapinar (Turkey).
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The top seven performers of the men's -49kg powerlifting competition at Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.
Nonetheless, Cong demonstrated the remarkable internal strength of the defending Paralympic champion. He successfully lifted 165kg in his first attempt, 5kg fewer than that of Omar Qarada but 15kg more than third-place Kayapinar.
In the second attempt, Cong conquered the level of 170kg while Omar Qarada failed with a 172kg lift. Both registered a weight of 173kg for the third attempt and successfully realised it, but the Jordanian was ruled as the overall winner because of his lower body weight than Cong’s (47.21kg : 47.31kg).
Azerbaijan’s Parvin Mammadov clinched bronze with a lift of 156kg.
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Vietnamese powerlifter Le Van Cong bursts with happiness after successfully conquering the third lift of 173kg. (Photo: Reuters)
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Le Van Cong poses with his silver medal in the men's -49kg category. (Photo: Getty)
