IWF120y/80 – 1992: German ace Ronny Weller reaches the top of a superb career
Born in July 1969 in what was then the German Democratic Republic, Ronny Weller was an accomplished example of an athlete successfully coping with the political changes that occurred in his country at the end of the 1980s. Initially competing for the GDR, he took part in his first Olympic Games in 1988, in Seoul. In the 110kg category, he got the bronze medal in 190-235-425. In 1989, the Berlin Wall collapsed and Germany got unified, “absorbing” athletes from both the East and West sides. Weller was one of them and will become an icon of German weightlifting with four more Olympic participations. In 1992, in Barcelona, he reached the top of his career, with an Olympic win in 192.5-240-432.5. Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000 will follow, and Weller will get the silver on both occasions. In Australia, he lifted his best at this level, with 210-257.5-467.5. In Athens 2004, at his last Olympic appearance, he got injured in the Snatch competition and couldn’t achieve a valid result. He is still today one of the few athletes with five participations in the Games and four Olympic medals! At the IWF World Championships, his career was also prolific, with one triumph in 1993 and three additional silver medals in 1991, 1995, and 1997. At the European level, Weller climbed six times on the podium (two gold, three silver, and one bronze). Finally, the German ace improved six World Records throughout his distinguished career (best Snatch and Clean & Jerk: 210kg and 255kg, respectively).
