Iran’s Paralympian Saman Pakbaz has won a gold medal in the 2015 International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athletics World Championships in Qatar.
On Saturday evening, the 20-year-old Iranian sportsman participated in the men’s discus throw F12 category competitions at the multi-purpose Suheim Bin Hamad Stadium, also known as Qatar SC Stadium, in the Qatari capital city of Doha, and stood atop the podium with a winning throw of 46.20 meters.
Spanish discus thrower Kim Lopez Gonzalez produced admirable displays at the same disciple, and registered a throw of 44.93 meters to snatch the silver medal.
The bronze went to Poland’s Marek Wietecki with a throw of 44.76 meters in his final attempt.
The medalists, however, will not be playing in the Rio 2016 Paralympics despite their medal wins, as men’s discus throw F12 class is not included in the games.
On October 22, Pakbaz participated in the men’s shot put F12 category competitions, and earned a ticket to the 2016 Summer Paralympics. He picked a silver medal for the Islamic Republic with a winning throw of 15.19 meters.
The 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships opened in Doha, Qatar, on October 21, and concluded on October 31. The tournament brought together around 1,300 athletes from 90 countries, and was held in the 15,000-seater Suhaim Bin Hamam Stadium.
It was one of the last major competitions ahead of the Rio 2016 Paralympics.
A total of 19 athletes represented the Islamic Republic of Iran at the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships.
China topped the medal count table with a total of 85 (41 golds, 26 silvers and 18 bronzes), and Russia stood second with 69 (24 golds, 21 silvers and 24 bronzes). The United States finished in the third spot, having collected 13 gold, 16 silver and ten bronze medals.
The Islamic Republic of Iran landed in the 14th place with a total of 13 medals (4 golds, 7 silvers and two bronzes).