Weightlifting was introduced to Armenia in the late 1920s and became widely practiced after World War II. Today, it is one of the country's most popular sports. The sport is regulated by the Armenian Weightlifting Federation. The first weightlifters from Soviet Armenia made successful appearances the international stage in the 1970s. Vardan Militosyan won a silver at the 1976 Olympics, and later Yurik Vardanyan became an Olympic, World and European champion through the late 1970s and the early 1980s. Oksen Mirzoyan and Yurik Sarkisyan rose to top positions in the 1980s. After its independence from the Soviet Union, Armenia successfully held its weightlifting traditions and continues to be one of the strongest nations in Europe. In 2008, the Armenia team placed first at the European Championship. In the 2008 Summer Olympics Armenia won three bronze medals. Tigran Gevorg Martirosyan is Armenia's only world champion with his successful appearance in 2010.
Carla Sue Garrett is a former American female weightlifter and discus thrower representing the United States in both sports at international competitions.
Stefan Leletko was a Polish male weightlifter, who competed in the flyweight class and represented Poland at international competitions. He won the gold medal at the 1982 World Weightlifting Championships in the 52 kg category. He participated at the 1976 Summer Olympics and at the 1980 Summer Olympics in the 52 kg event.
Zhang Zairong is a Chinese male former weightlifter, who competed in the flyweight class and represented China at international competitions. He won the bronze medal at the 1990 and 1991 World Weightlifting Championships in the 52 kg category. He participated at the 1992 Summer Olympics in the 52 kg event. He set one flyweight snatch world record at the 1991 World Championships.
Said Khalifa Gouda was an Egyptian male weightlifter who competed in the featherweight and Lightweight class and represented Egypt at international competitions. He won the gold medal at the 1951 World Weightlifting Championships in the 60 kg category. He also competed in the men's featherweight event at the 1952 Summer Olympics.
Karl Wilhelm Johann Schwitalle was a Polish born German male weightlifter, who competed in the lightweight class and represented Germany at international competitions. He won the bronze medal at the 1938 World Weightlifting Championships in the 67.5 kg category. He participated at the 1936 Summer Olympics in the 67.5 kg event finishing fourth.
Jon Chol-ho is a North Korean former weightlifter, who competed in the middleweight class and represented North Korea at international competitions. He won the bronze medal at the 1989 World Weightlifting Championships in the 75 kg category. He won the bronze medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in the 76 kg event. He also participated at the 1992 Summer Olympics in the 82.5 kg event and 2000 Summer Olympics in the 77 kg event. He won the gold medal at the 1990 Asian Games in the Lightweight class.
Juhani Vellamo was a Finnish male former weightlifter, who competed in the light heavyweight class and represented Finland at international competitions. He won the bronze medal at the 1947 World Weightlifting Championships in the 82.5 kg category. He also competed at the 1948 Summer Olympics and the 1952 Summer Olympics.
Juhani Kari Kalervo Avellan was a Finnish male weightlifter, who competed in the light heavyweight class and represented Finland at international competitions. He won the bronze medal at the 1975 World Weightlifting Championships in the 82.5 kg category. He participated at the 1972 Summer Olympics in the 82.5 kg event, at the 1976 Summer Olympics in the 82.5 kg event and at the 1980 Summer Olympics in the 82.5 kg event. He won the bronze medal at the 1975 European Championships in the Light-Heavyweight class (350.0 kg). He set three light-heavyweight world records in 1970-71 – one in the snatch and one in the clean & jerk.
Aleksandr Blyshchyk is a Soviet and later Ukrainian male former weightlifter, who competed in the light heavyweight class and represented Soviet Union at international competitions. He won the silver medal at the 1991 World Weightlifting Championships in the 82.5 kg category. He participated at the 1996 Summer Olympics in the 83 kg event.
Fritz Haller was an Austrian male former weightlifter, who competed in the light heavyweight class and represented Austria at international competitions. He won the gold medal at the 1937 World Weightlifting Championships and the silver medal at the 1938 World Weightlifting Championships, both in the 82.5 kg category. He also competed at the 1936 Summer Olympics and the 1948 Summer Olympics.
Igor Alekseyev is a Russian male former weightlifter, who competed in the middle heavyweight class and represented Russia at international competitions. He later emigrated to Australia and competed for them after 1994.. He won the gold medal at the 1995 World Weightlifting Championships in the 91 kg category. He participated at the 1996 Summer Olympics in the 91 kg event.
Eduard Brovko was a Soviet male weightlifter, who competed in the middle heavyweight class and represented Soviet Union at international competitions. He won the bronze medal at the 1963 World Weightlifting Championships in the 90 kg category and the World (1963). Honored Master of Sports of the USSR (1966). Honored Trainer of the USSR (1979).
Czesław Gerwazy Białas was a Polish male weightlifter, who competed in the light-heavyweight and middle-heavyweight class and represented Poland at international competitions. He won the bronze medal at the 1959 World Weightlifting Championships in the 90 kg category. He participated at the 1952 Summer Olympics in the 82.5 kg event, at the 1956 Summer Olympics in the 90 kg event and at the 1960 Summer Olympics in the 90 kg event.
Kim Byung-Chan also written as Kim Byeong-Chan was a South Korean male weightlifter, who competed in the middleweight and middle heavyweight class, representing South Korea at international competitions. He won the bronze medal at the 1991 World Weightlifting Championships in the 90 kg category. He participated at the 1988 Summer Olympics and at the 1992 Summer Olympics in the 90 kg event. He won the gold medal at the 1990 Asian Games in the Middle-Heavyweight class.
Petar Ivanov Stefanov is a Bulgarian male former weightlifter, who competed in the first heavyweight class and represented Bulgaria at international competitions. He won the gold medal at the 1989 World Weightlifting Championships in the 100 kg category. He participated at the 1992 Summer Olympics in the 100 kg event. He won the gold medal at the 1989 European Championships in the Sub-Heavyweight class (415.0 kg) and the bronze medal at the 1991 European Championships in the Sub-Heavyweight class (372.5 kg).
Václav Becvár was a Czechoslovak male weightlifter, who competed in the heavyweight class and represented Czechoslovakia at international competitions. He won the bronze medal at the 1947 World Weightlifting Championships in the +82.5 kg category. He also competed at the 1936 Summer Olympics.
Robert Philippe Marie Allart was a Belgian male weightlifter who competed in the heavyweight class and represented Belgium at international competitions. He was born in Laeken. He won the bronze medal at the 1949 World Weightlifting Championships in the +82.5 kg category. He participated at the 1948 Summer Olympics in the +82.5 kg event finishing seventh and at the 1952 Summer Olympics. He won the silver medal at the 1949 European Championships in the Unlimited class (387.5 kg)
Mohamed Ahmed Geisa was an Egyptian male weightlifter, who competed in the heavyweight class and represented Egypt at international competitions. He won the bronze medal at the 1946 and 1951 World Weightlifting Championships in the +90 kg category. He also competed in weightlifting at the 1936 Summer Olympics.
Károly Ecser was a Hungarian weightlifter who competed in the heavyweight class and represented Hungary at international competitions. He won the bronze medal at the 1965 World Weightlifting Championships in the +90 kg category. He participated at the 1964 Summer Olympics in the +90 kg event finishing fifth. Ecser had furthermore the following podium finishes at major championships: bronze in the 1965 World Championships Unlimited class (522.5 kg), bronze in the 1961 European Championships Unlimited class (455.0 kg) silver in the 1962 European Championships Unlimited class (482.5 kg), silver in the 1964 European Championships Unlimited class (490 kg) and gold at the 1965 European Championships Unlimited class (505 kg). He was born in Cegléd.
Soviet Union
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