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Top 7 greatest weightlifters in Olympics history (part 1)

Posted by Marie Curtis on
Top 7 greatest weightlifters in Olympics history (part 1)

Weightlifting is the sport in the Olympics that most tests the physical strength of an individual. Over the competitions of the years, we have seen great powerhouses and world records broken on the grandest stage of them all. However, there are some weightlifters who have gone one further step and etched their names in Olympics folklore. We enlist here the top 10 greatest Olympics weightlifters of all time.

1. Liu Chunhong (China)

Liu Chunhong is the only female Olympics weightlifter to win back-to-back gold medals in the same weight category. She won gold medals in the 69kg class both in the 2004 Olympics in Athens and in 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Especially, in 2008, she clinched the Gold setting Olympic records in both Snatch and, Clean & Jerk with lifts of 158kg and 128kg for a combined world record of 286kg.

Olympic: 2 Golds

World Championships: 2 Golds

2. Waldemar Baszanowski (Poland)

Polish weightlifter Waldemar Baszanowski competed in the 67.5kg class and won gold medals in two games in the 1964 and 1968 Olympics. In World Championships, he won 5 Gold and 5 Silver medals, a combined 10 medals that is more than any athlete in weightlifting history.

In 1993, Waldemar Baszanowski was inducted into the Hall of Fame of International Weightlifting Federation, sealing his name as one of the greatest weightlifters of all time.

Olympic: 2 Golds

World Championships: 5 Golds, 5 Silvers

3. Charles Vinci (USA)

American weightlifter Charles Vinci competed in the Bantamweight class and won two gold medals in the 1956 and 1960 Summer Olympics. In addition, he also won two gold medals in the 1955 and 1959 Pan American games.

Between 1955 and 1960, Charles Vinci set up to 12 World Records in the bantamweight class. He also held records in Snatch, In Press, Clean & Jerk, as well as in total weight lifted by any weightlifter in history.

Olympic: 2 Golds

World Championships: 2 Silvers.