Antonino Pizzolato is, maybe, Italy’s best weightlifter. Italian weightlifters floundered at the 2024 Olympics in Paris after raising their profile throughout the pre-Games qualification period, but Pizzolato walked away with his second Olympic bronze medal in the 89-kilogram category by the skin of his teeth.
- On Oct. 23, 2024, Pizzolato blasted social media with a 180-kilogram snatch — well above anything he’s ever hit in a sanctioned weightlifting competition.
“To be continued…” Pizzolato hinted, indicating that he’s in great shape ahead of the upcoming 2024 World Weightlifting Championships in December and, months afterward, the European Championships in ‘25.
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Antonino Pizzolato’s 180KG Snatch, in Context
The battle for gold in Paris began 18 months before the opening ceremonies. The 89-kilogram division was selected for the 2024 Olympics shortly before the 2022 European Weightlifting Championships. Pizzolato set a world record clean & jerk, 217 kilograms, at that event — a first for the division since its creation six years prior.
As the world’s best weightlifters began campaigning for Paris selection, Pizzolato postured as the man to beat in the 89s. Come the summer Games, though, and several other athletes had surpassed “Nino” in the weightlifting Total, while his performances stagnated:
- 2022 European Championships: 392KG Total, 175KG snatch
- 19th Mediterranean Games: 385KG Total, 172KG snatch
- 2023 IWF Grand Prix II: 380KG Total, 170KG snatch
- 2024 European Championships: 380KG Total, 170KG snatch
- 2024 IWF World Cup: 380KG Total, 170KG snatch
- 2024 Olympics: 384KG Total, 172KG snatch
While Pizzolato remained afloat, athletes like Bulgaria’s Karlos Nasar soared, pushing the 89-kilogram records ever higher. As of Oct. 2024, Nasar holds the clean & jerk and Total records in the class, while the snatch crown belongs to Jeison Lopez, who lifted 182 kilos at the World Cup in April.
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It’s not known whether Pizzolato has snatched more than 180 kilograms in the gym; it’s five kilos above anything he’s ever lifted in competition, though. Notably, Pizzolato managed a truly heroic 222-kilogram clean at Europeans in ‘24.
- If he could manage to snatch 180 and jerk 222, he would present a viable challenge to Nasar, whose world record Total stands at 404 kilograms.
That’s a big “if.” Nasar has maintained an upward trajectory in weightlifting since 2021. If anything, Pizzolato’s 180-kilogram snatch proves two things:
- He’s still one of the world’s best weightlifters, despite the stagnation in his competition snatch performances over the years.
- There will be plenty of exciting weightlifting taking place in the next six months, even without an Olympic Games event to look forward to.
The 2024 World Weightlifting Championships run from Dec. 6 to 15 in Manama, Bahrain. According to the preliminary entry list posted Oct. 7, both Pizzolato and Nasar are signed up in the 89s.
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Featured Image: @nino_pizzolato / Instagram
