Sarah Fischer

Sarah Fischer

Personal information
Born	(2000-11-09) 9 November 2000 (age 24)
Sport
Country	Austria
Sport	Weightlifting
Weight class	+87 kg
Medal record Women's weightlifting Representing   Austria European Championships 2018 Bucharest 90 kg 2019 Batumi 87 kg 2022 Tirana +87 kg IWF World Cup 2020 Rome 87 kg Junior World Championships 2018 Tashkent 90 kg

Sarah Fischer (born 9 November 2000) ^[1] is an Austrian weightlifter. She is a three-time medalist at the European Weightlifting Championships. ^{[2] [3]} She also represented Austria at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. ^[4] Her brother is weightlifter David Fischer. ^[5]

Career

At the 2017 Youth World Weightlifting Championships held in Bangkok, Thailand, Fischer won the silver medal in the women's +75 kg event. ^[6] In that same year, at the 2017 European Junior & U23 Weightlifting Championships held in Durrës, Albania, she won the silver medal in the women's junior 90 kg event. ^[7]

In 2018, Fischer won the bronze medal in the women's 90 kg event at the Junior World Weightlifting Championships held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. ^[8]

In 2019, at the European Weightlifting Championships held in Batumi, Georgia, Fischer won the bronze medal in the women's 87 kg event. ^[3] In that same year, she also won the silver medal in the women's junior 87 kg event at the 2019 European Junior & U23 Weightlifting Championships in Bucharest, Romania. ^[9]

In 2020, she won the bronze medal in the women's 87 kg event at the Roma 2020 World Cup in Rome, Italy. ^{[1] [10]} In 2021, she competed in her event at the European Weightlifting Championships held in Moscow, Russia. ^[11]

Fischer represented Austria at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. She finished in 10th place in the women's +87 kg event. ^[12] At the 2021 European Junior & U23 Weightlifting Championships in Rovaniemi, Finland, she won the silver medal in her event. ^[13]

Fischer won the bronze medal in her event at the 2022 European Weightlifting Championships held in Tirana, Albania. ^{[14] [15]} She won the gold medal in her event at the 2022 European Junior & U23 Weightlifting Championships held in Durrës, Albania. ^[16]

In 2023, she competed in the women's +87 kg event at the European Weightlifting Championships held in Yerevan, Armenia. ^[17] She won the bronze medal in the Clean & Jerk. ^[17] She also competed at the 2024 European Weightlifting Championships held in Sofia, Bulgaria. ^[18]

Achievements

Year	Venue	Weight	Snatch (kg)				Clean & Jerk (kg)				Total	Rank
			1	2	3	Rank	1	2	3	Rank
Summer Olympics
2021	Tokyo, Japan	+87 kg	93	97	97	—	117	123	123	—	220	10
World Championships
2019	Pattaya, Thailand	87 kg	97	102	102	14	125	125	130	9	222	10
European Championships
2018	Bucharest, Romania	90 kg	97	100	101		122	125	127		226
2019	Batumi, Georgia	87 kg	97	102	105	4	125	129	133		231
2021	Moscow, Russia	87 kg	95	99	102	9	118	123	123	7	222	7
2022	Tirana, Albania	+87 kg	97	100	102		128	131	135		230
2023	Yerevan, Armenia	+87 kg	99	103	104	5	128	132	134		238	5
2024	Sofia, Bulgaria	+87 kg	97	101	105	6	125	130	132	4	231	5
2025	Chișinău, Moldova	87 kg	95	95	95	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
World Cup
2020	Rome, Italy	87 kg	98	98	98	5	123	128	128		221

References

1. "2020 Roma World Cup" (PDF). Federazione Italiana Pesistica. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 May 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
2. "2018 European Weightlifting Championships Results Book" (PDF). European Weightlifting Federation. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 September 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
3. "Results Book" (PDF). 2019 European Weightlifting Championships. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 May 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
4. Oliver, Brian (20 June 2021). "Five lucky weightlifters get huge boost with places at Tokyo 2020". InsideTheGames.biz. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
5. Oliver, Brian (9 July 2020). "Exclusive: Bitter weightlifting dispute goes public as angry Austrian opts to compete for Bulgaria". InsideTheGames.biz. Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2021. David Fischer
6. "2017 Youth World Championships Results Book" (PDF). Polish Weightlifting Federation. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 May 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
7. "Results Book" (PDF). 2017 European Junior & U23 Weightlifting Championships. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 May 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
8. "2018 Junior World Weightlifting Championships Results Book" (PDF). International Weightlifting Federation. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 July 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
9. "Results Book" (PDF). 2019 European Junior & U23 Weightlifting Championships. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 May 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
10. Oliver, Brian (1 February 2020). "Transgender weightlifter Hubbard keeps Olympic hopes alive at age 41". InsideTheGames.biz. Archived from the original on 31 May 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
11. "Results Book" (PDF). 2021 European Weightlifting Championships. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 April 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
12. "Women's +87 kg Results" (PDF). 2020 Summer Olympics. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 August 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
13. "2021 European Junior & U23 Weightlifting Championships Results Book" (PDF). European Weightlifting Federation. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 October 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
14. Oliver, Brian (5 June 2022). "Landmark golds for Britain's Campbell and Norway's Koanda at European Weightlifting Championships". InsideTheGames.biz . Retrieved 5 June 2022.
15. "2022 European Weightlifting Championships Results Book" (PDF). European Weightlifting Federation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 June 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
16. "2022 European Junior & U23 Weightlifting Championships Results Book" (PDF). European Weightlifting Federation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 October 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
17. "2023 European Weightlifting Championships Results Book" (PDF). EWF. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 April 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
18. "2024 European Weightlifting Championships Results Book" (PDF). easywl.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 February 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024.

Doping Controversy

According to multiple sources, Sarah Fischer was introduced to ephedrine and amphetamines when she was only 17, allegedly under pressure from her father and coach, Ewald Fischer, during an intensive training camp in Romania. "Weightlifting: Austria's David Fischer switches to Bulgaria". Inside the Games. Retrieved 4 February 2025. "Gewichtheben: Rohrendorfer Gewichtheber droht Dopingsperre". NOEN. Retrieved 4 February 2025. Critics within the Austrian Weightlifting Federation (ÖGV) condemned this approach as unethical, highlighting the risks associated with relying on performance-enhancing stimulants at such a young age. Ewald Fischer’s coaching tactics were further scrutinized for prioritizing rapid results over athlete well-being.

Concerns about the family’s training environment deepened in 2024, when Fischer’s brother, David, tested positive for trenbolone, an anabolic steroid explicitly banned under World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) regulations. This incident exacerbated tensions with the Austrian federation, ultimately contributing to a public fallout and David’s decision to compete internationally for Bulgaria. Despite Sarah Fischer’s achievements in the sport, her early involvement with stimulants and the broader doping allegations within her family continue to raise serious doubts about the legitimacy of her accomplishments and cast a prolonged shadow over her career.