With the 2024 Olympics in the rearview, many of the world’s best weightlifters are finally showing their hands after months of playing things close to the chest.
- In the weeks since the conclusion of Paris 2024, a deluge of unofficial world records and monstrous training lifts from before the Games have appeared on the Internet.
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2024 Olympics: Unofficial Records Revealed
Heading into the most prestigious international event in sports, the last thing any weightlifter wanted to do was spill the beans on their strength. But once the chalk had settled, many of the 2024 weightlifting Olympians opted to show off the results of their hard work throughout the qualification period.
- The lifts you’re about to see are not official records; none were set in valid International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) events.
Some were performed while the athlete weighed more than their competitive category, while others are variations of the snatch and clean & jerk. But they’re all jaw-droppingly impressive.
- Above, Rizki Juniansyah (INA) jerks 210 kilograms off blocks; six kilos above the 73-kilogram clean & jerk world record held by his teammate, Rahmat Erwin Abdullah.
Juniansyah won gold in the Men’s 73-kilogram weightlifting event in Paris.
- Antonino Pizzolato (ITA), who won a controversial bronze medal in the Men’s 89-kilogram event, jerked 230 kilograms prior to Paris.
89-kilogram gold medalist Karlos Nasar (BUL) set the clean & jerk world record at 224 kilograms at the Olympic Games.
- Akbar Djuraev (UZB), Olympic Champion from Tokyo 2020, posted a 195-kilogram snatch during his weight cut to the Men’s 102-kilogram category.
The 102-kilo category has yet to see an athlete exceed the benchmark Standard of 191 kilograms in the snatch to set the first world record. Djuraev snatched 185 in Paris and finished with silver behind Liu Huanhua of Team China.
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- Above, Hampton Morris (USA) clean & jerks 180 kilograms for an unofficial world record back in April, shortly after he set the existing record at 176 kilos at the IWF World Cup.
Morris went on to win bronze for Team USA in Paris, the first Men’s weightlifting medal at the Olympics in over 50 years.
- Sara Samir Ahmed (EGY), cleaned 167 kilograms off blocks at some point prior to Paris.
The Women’s 81-kilogram clean & jerk record belongs to Liang Xiaomei of China at 161 kilograms. Ahmed won silver in Paris; Liang was not selected by her country.
- In the video above from VintageLifts, 61-kilogram silver medalist Silachai Theerapong (THA) jerks what looks to be 190 kilograms.
190 is 14 kilos above Morris’ clean & jerk world record. Theerapong beat Morris to silver at the 2024 Olympics by a five-kilogram margin.
- Marin Robu (MDA) did not hit any unofficial world records in training that we know of, but he has posted a series of personal bests to social media, including 180 kilograms in the snatch (2 under the world record) and 210 in the clean & jerk.
Robu placed fourth in Paris after the weightlifting jury overruled Team Italy’s final clean & jerk. It was initially marked as a no-lift in one of the most shocking calls in recent weightlifting memory.
- Nasar smashed 185 kilograms in the snatch, three kilos above the 182-kilogram record at 89 kilograms.
Nasar also posted a series of big clean & jerk attempts to social media in the weeks before Paris, including multiple tries at 230 kilograms. As far as we know, none were successful.
Why After the 2024 Olympics?
If you’re not familiar with how weightlifting works, you might be scratching your head here. Most of these athletes lifted less weight at the 2024 Olympics than they displayed on social media — what gives?
On their home turf, it’s easier for a weightlifter to create the conditions they prefer for heavy lifting. Long hours of travel, an unfamiliar environment, and the rigors of competition all make it more challenging for a weightlifter to display their true strength.
- Plus, many of the athletes here were not performing the snatch and clean & jerk as they are tested at a meet. Lifting from blocks or using straps allows for heavier weights.
Looking forward: Many of these athletes have declared their intent to take a break from weightlifting after their performance at the 2024 Olympics, but not all.
The World Weightlifting Championships take place in December in Manama, Bahrain; look for equally-stunning performances there, and of course, some unofficial records to hit the ‘Net shortly after.
- You can connect with VintageLifts on Instagram or via their YouTube channel.
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Featured Image: @nbcolympics / Instagram
