• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The BarBend Logo in white.

BarBend

The Online Home for Strength Sports

  • News
    • CrossFit
    • Strongman
    • Bodybuilding
    • Powerlifting
    • Weightlifting
    • HYROX
  • Reviews
    • Recovery
      • Best Cold Plunges
      • Best Saunas
      • Best Mini-Massage Guns
    • Supplements
      • Best Protein
        • Best Vegan Protein Powders
        • Best Whey Isolate Protein Powders
        • Best Mass Gainer
        • Best Protein Bars
      • Best Pre-Workouts
        • Best Pre-Workout for Women
        • Best Pre-Workouts for Men
        • Best Non-Stim Pre-Workouts
        • Strongest Pre-Workouts
      • Best Creatine
      • Best Electrolyte Supplements
      • Best Greens Powder
      • Best Meal Replacements
      • Best Nitric Oxide Supplements
      • Best Fat Burners
      • Individual Supplement Reviews
    • Cardio Equipment
      • Best Treadmills
      • Best Rowing Machines
      • Best Exercise Bikes
      • Best Ellipticals
      • Best Recumbent Bikes
      • Individual Cardio Equipment Reviews
    • Strength Equipment
      • Best Adjustable Dumbbells
      • Best Dumbbells
      • Best Kettlebells
      • Best Barbells
      • Best Squat Racks
      • Best Weight Benches
      • Best Resistance Bands
      • Best Leg Extension Machines
      • Individual Strength Equipment Reviews
    • Apparel
      • Best Weightlifting Shoes
      • Best Cross Training Shoes
      • Best Running Shoes
      • Best Gym Shorts
    • Fitness Tech
      • Best Running Apps
      • Best Fitness Trackers
      • Best Workout Apps
      • Best Smart Scales
    • Support Gear
      • Best Lifting Straps
      • Best Gym Bags
      • Best Lifting Gloves
      • Best Wrist Wraps
  • Nutrition
    • Diets
      • Carb Cycling
      • Vertical Diet
      • Reverse Dieting
      • Carnivore Diet
      • Ketogenic Diet
      • Intermittent Fasting
      • IIFYM Diet
    • Muscle Gain
      • How to Dirty Bulk
      • Go From Cutting to Bulking
      • Eat These Carbs
      • How to Eat for Muscle
    • Fat Loss
      • Macros for Fat Loss
      • Calorie Deficits
      • Natural Fat Burners
      • Cut 2 Pounds Weekly
    • Supplement Guides
      • Pre-Workout
      • Whey Protein
      • Mass Gainers
      • Greens Powders
      • Creatine
      • BCAAs
    • Daily Protein Needs
    • Pre- and Post-Workout Nutrition
    • Foods With Creatine
    • Bulking Tips
  • Training
    • Exercise Guides
      • Deadlift
      • Bench Press
      • Back Squat
      • Overhead Press
      • Lat Pulldown
      • Shoulder Exercises
      • Chest Exercises
      • Ab Exercises
      • Quad Exercises
      • Biceps Exercises
    • Training Guides
      • Beginner’s Guide to the Gym
      • How to Build Muscle
      • Guide to Muscle Hypertrophy
      • How to Train on a Cut
    • Workouts
      • Back Workouts
      • At-Home Workouts
      • Chest & Back Workouts
      • Full-Body Workout
      • HIIT Workouts
      • Bodybuilding Workouts
      • Farmer’s Carry Workouts
    • Programs
      • 5×5 Program
      • Bodybuilding Programs
      • Push-Up Program
      • Pull-Up Program
      • 5/3/1 Program
      • Powerbuilding Program
      • German Volume Training
      • Build Your Own Program
  • Calculators
    • Protein Intake Calculator
    • Macros Calculator
    • BMR Calculator
    • Squat Calculator
    • Calorie Calculator
  • Community Forum
Home » Weightlifting News » Weightlifter Tian Tao Announces Retirement From International Competition

Weightlifter Tian Tao Announces Retirement From International Competition

After an illustrious career, Tao is stepping away from the international scene. But he's not gone for good.

Written by Jake Dickson, NASM-CPT, USAW-L2
Last updated on April 29th, 2025

A chapter of weightlifting history is closing. On Saturday, Apr. 6, 2024, Olympic silver medalist and World Champion Tian Tao announced his retirement from the sport of weightlifting — internationally, at least.

Tao’s announcement hit social media shortly after the conclusion of the Men’s 89-kilogram Group A session at the 2024 IWF World Cup in Phuket, Thailand. The Cup runs from Mar. 31 to Apr. 11 and is the final opportunity to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, later this summer.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Tian Tao 田涛 (@tiantao89kg1)

[Related: Karlos Nasar & Jeison Lopez (89KG) Score Back-to-Back Snatch World Records at IWF World Cup]

According to the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), Tao, 29, began his weightlifting career at just 10 years of age, studying alongside many of China’s best athletes. Tao’s international career kicked off in 2013 and he’s been a fixture within Men’s weightlifting ever since.

What Happened at the 2024 IWF World Cup?

Prior to the commencement of this year’s World Cup, Tao was considered an outside pick to represent China at the 2024 Olympics. Like all countries, Team China may only elect three male athletes to compete in any of the five Paris-recognized weight classes (and only one athlete per category).

When the last-chance qualifier began, Tao’s teammate (and world-record holder in the Total) Li Dayin sat atop the IWF’s qualification ranking leaderboards in the 89-kilogram division. In order to be eligible for Paris, Tao had to exceed Dayin’s best Total of 396 kilograms.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by All Things Gym (@atginsta)

[Related: Why Weightlifting Sucks To Watch in 2024]

Tao competed valiantly against both Dayin and Bulgarian prodigy Karlos Nasar, but could not muster the strength required for a Total above 396 kilograms:

Tian Tao (89KG, CHN) | 2024 IWF World Cup

  • Snatch: 171, 176x, 177x
  • Clean & Jerk: 215x, 226x, 226x
  • Total: n/a

After securing a 171-kilogram snatch, Tao needed 226 kilograms in the clean & jerk — a new 89-kilogram world record — to reach a 397-kilogram Total and dislodge Dayin.

He took two courageous attempts at the weight, a number he’d conquered in years past in heavier weight classes, but couldn’t secure his barbell overhead. Nasar won the 89s, matching Dayin’s 396 in the process. Dayin himself finished with a modest 383.

The 89-kilogram event in Phuket was a “bloodbath,” according to on-site commentators. Of the 11 Group-A athletes who competed in an attempt to win a ticket to Paris, only four registered a Total.

Tian Tao’s Weightlifting Career

While Tao won’t see the stage at his second Olympic Games, he is regardless leaving behind a commendable, decade-plus career in international weightlifting. Adoringly nicknamed “Heart Attack” for his coin-flip success rate on the lifting platform, Tao has filled his medal cabinet with plenty of hardware, and often by the skin of his teeth.

Here are some of Tao’s most impressive achievements in weightlifting:

  • 18 international competition appearances in 11 years
  • First Senior international win at age 20 at the 2014 Asian Games
  • 8 international event wins overall
  • Olympic silver medalist at the 2016 Games in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
  • 2019 World Champion in Pattaya, Thailand
  • 181-kilogram snatch lifetime international competition record, 2018 (96KG)
  • 231-kilogram clean & jerk lifetime international competition record, 2019 (96KG)
  • Clean & jerk world-record holder at 231 kilograms (96KG, 2019-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lABKCyA3oI

[Related: 5 of the Best Weightlifting Battles of All Time]

Tao also boasts some of the strongest legs in weightlifting, and is famous for his extraordinary prowess in the back and front squat, as well as the clean.

His international career began in an “earlier era” of the sport, alongside all-time Chinese greats like Lu Xiaojun and Liao Hui, both of whom have since retired as well.

The Next Chapter

On social media, Tao specified that he will no longer pursue competition in weightlifting at the international level. However, according to BarBend correspondent Brian Oliver, an unnamed source within the Chinese Weightlifting Association (CWA) made the following remarks on Apr. 6 about Tao’s future:

“He’s said goodbye to international competition, but he has not retired from weightlifting.”

Tao is expected to perform on stage at the 15th National Games of China in 2025.

Tao will also celebrate his 30th birthday in just two days (from the time of this article’s publication) on Apr. 8. BarBend congratulates Tao on a spectacular weightlifting career and wishes him well in his future endeavors. Oh, and happy birthday!

More Weightlifting News

  • Olympic Champion Meso Hassona (102KG) Injured, Out of 2024 IWF World Cup
  • American Hampton Morris Makes History With 176KG World Record Clean & Jerk
  • Rizki Juniansyah Sets World Record Total, Steals Olympic Slot From Teammate Rahmat Erwin Abdullah

Disclaimer: Brian Oliver is an independent correspondent for BarBend. The views and opinions expressed on this site do not necessarily reflect his own. Oliver is not directly affiliated with any of BarBend’s existing media partnerships.

Featured Image: Jessie Johnson / @barbellstories

About Jake Dickson, NASM-CPT, USAW-L2

Jake is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with a B.S. in Exercise Science. He began his career as a weightlifting coach before transitioning into sports media to pursue his interest in journalism.

View All Articles

Primary Sidebar

Latest Reviews

Featured image for the Ironmaster Super Bench Pro V2 Review

Ironmaster Super Bench Pro V2 Review (2025): Our Expert’s New Favorite FID Bench

Titan T3 Power Rack Review

Titan T3 Power Rack Review (2025): An Expert-Approved Rig Beckoning to Budget-Minded Athletes

Our tester works out at the beach in preparation for the Rogue Resistance Bands Review

Rogue Resistance Bands Review (2025): Tested by a Certified Personal Trainer

Barbend tester Jake Herod works out on a Force USA Trainer

Force USA G3 Review (2025): Our Experts Tested This Compact All-In-One Rack for Small Home Gyms

BarBend

BarBend is an independent website. The views expressed on this site may come from individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the view of BarBend or any other organization. BarBend is the Official Media Partner of USA Weightlifting.

  • About Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest

Sections

  • CrossFit
  • Strongman
  • Bodybuilding
  • Powerlifting
  • Weightlifting
  • Reviews
  • Nutrition
  • Training

More

  • BarBend Newsletter
  • BarBend Podcast
  • The Ripped Report
  • 1RM Calculator
  • BMR Calculator
  • Macros Calculator
  • Protein Calculator
  • Squat Calculator

Policies

  • Accessibility
  • Advice Disclaimer
  • Cookies Policy
  • Disclaimers
  • Disclosures
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Copyright © 2025 · BarBend Inc · Sitemap