Iranian Behdad Salimi named 2010 World Best Lifter

Iranian athlete Behdad Salimi has been named the world's best weightlifter in an online poll conducted by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF).

This is the fourth time an Iranian has been selected as the world's top weightlifter, Mehr News Agency reported. 

Salimi, the World Weightlifting Championships and Asian Games gold medalist, was named the world's best weightlifter in 2010, according to a poll conducted by IWF's official website. 

Iran's Hossein Rezazadeh was named the world's top weightlifter in 2000, 2002 and 2004. 

Salimi said he was “really happy” to be named the world's best weightlifter in 2010, although he did not expect it. 

He said the title has made him more determined to claim the gold medal in the 2012 Olympic Games in London.