Tommy Calandro (born 1968) [1] is a former Olympic weightlifter who represented the United States in the 1984 Summer Olympics. He placed 19th in the men's middle-heavyweight event. [2] Coached by Gayle Hatch, he was the first Olympic weightlifter from Baton Rouge. [3]
In addition to his participation in the Olympics, Calandro received a bronze medal at the 1987 Pan American Games for middle-heavyweight lifting. [2]
Tamio "Tommy" Kono was an American weightlifter of Japanese descent. A two-time Olympic gold medalist, Kono set world records in four different weight classes: lightweight, middleweight, light-heavyweight and middle-heavyweight.
Michael Bentt is an American film and television actor, and former professional boxer who competed from 1989 to 1994. He was born in East Dulwich, London, but raised in the Cambria Heights section of Queens in New York City. Bentt won the WBO heavyweight title from Tommy Morrison in 1993, losing the title in his first defense in 1994 to Herbie Hide.
Dinko "Dean" Lukin, OAM is a retired weightlifter from Australia. Lukin won the gold medal in the Super Heavyweight category at the 1984 Summer Olympics, held in Los Angeles. He carried the Australian flag during the closing ceremony of the 1984 games, and remains Australia's only Olympic gold medalist for weightlifting. He also saw success in the Commonwealth Games, winning gold medals in the super heavyweight division of the 1982 Brisbane games and the 1986 Edinburgh games.
Gabriela "Gaby" Lourdes Pérez del Solar Cuculiza is a Peruvian former volleyball player and two-time Olympian. Following her sports career, she entered politics and served as a Congresswoman of the Christian People's Party.
Yuri Norayrovich Vardanyan was a Soviet Armenian weightlifter. Vardanyan won a gold medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics, becoming the world's first weightlifter to achieve a 400 kilogram total in the 82.5 kg weight category. During his career he set several world records. He trained at Lokomotiv in Leninakan, Armenia. He earned the title Honoured Master of Sports of the USSR in 1977 and was awarded the Order of Lenin in 1985. In 1994 he was elected a member of the International Weightlifting Federation Hall of Fame.
Blagoy Blagoev is a retired Bulgarian weightlifter. Between 1976 and 1984 he claimed seven gold and five silver medals at the Summer Olympics and World and European championships. He set 18 world records. 13 of them were in the snatch. His last snatch world record was 195.5 kg in the 90 kg weight class, set on 1 May 1983 in Varna and remains the heaviest weight ever snatched by a middle heavyweight. Blagoev was twice declared the Best Weightlifter in the World by the International Weightlifting Federation - in 1982 and 1983. Blagoev was named Sportsperson of the Year in Bulgaria for 1982.
Asen Zlatev is a former Bulgarian weightlifter.
Aurélio Fernández Miguel is a Brazilian judoka and Olympic champion, and later politician. Among his best sporting achievements are his gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, and a bronze medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
Robert Douglas "Doug" Partie is an American former volleyball player who was a member of the United States men's national volleyball team that won the gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. Four years later in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, he won the bronze medal with the national team.
Julio César Castillo Torres is an Ecuadorian amateur boxer. He won two medals at the Pan American Games: a bronze in 2007 and a silver in 2011.
Itte Junior Ronson Detenamo is a Nauruan weightlifter competing in the +105 kg category.
Mark Berger is a Ukrainian-born Canadian judoka. He won the gold medal in the men's heavyweight judo event at the 1983 Pan American Games and a bronze medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics. He also competed in sambo, winning silver at the 1988 World Championships.
Sarah Elizabeth Robles is an American weightlifter. She qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and earned a bronze medal in weightlifting at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, becoming the first US athlete to medal in Olympic weightlifting in 16 years. She repeated her feat in the +87 kg category at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, once again earning bronze, and becoming the first US woman to earn two Olympic weightlifting medals.
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.
Gor Minasyan is an Armenian-born Bahraini weightlifter, and Olympic silver medalist (2016) competing in the super-heavyweight category.
Luis Javier Mosquera Lozano is a Colombian Olympic weightlifter. He represented his country in the Men's 69 kg Weightlifting competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics on August 9, 2016, winning the bronze medal. He initially finished fourth behind Izzat Artykov, who was later disqualified for failing a performance-enhancing drugs test. He received his bronze medal on March 28, 2019.
Guy Albert Carlton was an American weightlifter who won a bronze medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics and a silver medal at the 1979 Pan American Games.
Alberto Blanco Fernández is a Cuban weightlifter. He competed in the middle heavyweight and First heavyweight class, representing Cuba at international competitions. He won the bronze medal at the 1977, 1979 and 1980 World Weightlifting Championships. He won the bronze medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics in the 100 kg event. He also participated at the 1976 Summer Olympics. He won the gold medal at the 1979 Pan American Games in the Sub-Heavyweight class.
Caine Morgan Wilkes is an American weightlifter. He is a three-time gold medalist in his event at the Pan American Weightlifting Championships. He also won the silver medal on four occasions. Wilkes represented the United States at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.
Keydomar Giovanni Vallenilla Sánchez is a Venezuelan weightlifter. In 2021, he won the silver medal in the men's 96 kg event at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. He won the gold medal in the men's 89 kg event at the 2022 World Weightlifting Championships held in Bogotá, Colombia.