Nizami Pashayev

Who is Nizami Pashayev?

Nizami Pashayev is a retired Azerbaijani athlete in weightlifting. He won two World Weightlifting Championships titles and one European Weightlifting Championships title, when he hauled 402 kilograms in total to take the overall gold in the men's 94 kg category.

Pashayev totalled 402 kg on May 20, 2006, but it was the 25-year-old's snatch winning effort of 186 kg that helped him gain the title ahead of Poland's Szymon Kolecki who was second in the clean and jerk with 217 kg. Later that year Pashayev was disqualified for two years after failing a WADA drugs test. He lost his European title and was fined $2,400.

Pashayev is currently coaching the Azerbaijani Olympic weightlifting team.