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IWF120y/100 – 2021: Polina Guryeva, a special medal for Turkmenistan

In the weightlifting Olympic story, among the countries with one single medal at the Games, three of them have another common characteristic: that podium presence is the only one for the nation, all sports included, in their respective Olympic trajectory. These countries are Iraq, Samoa, and Turkmenistan. The most recent case comes precisely from Polina Guryeva (photo), who earned in Tokyo 2020ne the sole medal so far in the history of her nation, Turkmenistan. Competing in the women’s 59kg category, she earned silver after lifting 96-121-217, an achievement that brought her the highest recognition from the Turkmen authorities: she was offered a new apartment and car upon her return to Ashgabat. Born in October 1999, she never replicated this success on a later stage: having gained weight and moved to the 76kg category, she was 20th at the 2023 IWF Worlds in Riyadh (KSA) and seventh at the 2024 Asian Championships. In Beijing 2008, Ele Opeloge clinched the sole medal so far in the Olympic history of Samoa: lifting in the women’s +75kg, she initially finished fourth, but was upgraded to second after two athletes tested positive for prohibited substances. Going back even further, we arrive at the 1960 Rome Olympics. In the men’s 67.5kg category, Abdul-Wahid Aziz will achieve an unparalleled feat in the history of Iraq so far: an Olympic medal! After lifting 117.5-115-147.5-380, he got the bronze medal. One year earlier, at the World Championships in Warsaw (POL), the Iraqi star was also third, with a Total of

IWF120y/99 – 1924: Austria starts Olympic 12-year cycle of success

Despite intense discussions around the participation of Austria in the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris – the country had been one of the defeated belligerents during World War I and had been banned in the 1920 edition in Antwerp -, Austrian lifters were finally present in the French capital. And the least we can say is that their participation was quite successful, with four medals – three silver (Andreas Stadler, Anton Zwerina, and Franz Aigner) and a bronze (Leopold Friedrich). Four years later, in Amsterdam, the Austrian delegation clinched two victories, thanks to Franz Andrysek (60kg) and Hans Haas (67.5kg). In Los Angeles 1932, Haas will become the sole Austrian lifter with two Olympic medals until the present day, by adding a silver to his roll of honour. Karl Hipfinger (75kg) also got a bronze medal in California. In 1936, Berlin hosted the Olympics in a dangerous time for Europe, and Robert Fein (gold in the 67.5kg category) closed the Olympic medal count for Austria. With nine medals, weightlifting is the third most successful sport for the central European nation, after sailing and canoeing. Both Haas and Fein (photo) were Jewish: if the first one could complete his career without major problems, Fein’s story was completely different. After the victory in Berlin (he was one of the 13 Jewish athletes getting a medal there), he could still earn a silver at the 1937 World Championships in Paris, but with the instauration of anti-Semitic laws in Austria, he was barred from competing. Never again, after World War II, did Austria know such achievements from its athletes. On the administration level, things were different: curiously born in 1924, Gottfried Schödl was one of the most prominent IWF officials, entering the Executive Board in 1964 and being elected IWF President in 1972 (until

IWF120y/98 – 2024: Li Wenwen (CHN) ‘jumps’ for the gold at the Games

The last weightlifting competition day at the 2024 Paris Olympics had only one event on the programme: the women’s +81kg. And what a great way to conclude the Games it was! With the group of 12 lifters visibly happy to be performing in such a prestigious scenario, the gold medal went to favourite Li Wenwen from China, in 136-173-309, her second consecutive Olympic title after also reaching the highest step of the podium in Tokyo 2020ne (then, with a performance of 140-180-320). But if in the Japanese capital the podium celebrations had to be more sober (COVID pandemic oblige), the atmosphere in Paris was clearly more relaxed. While on both sides of the podium, Hyejeong Park (KOR, silver) and Emily Campbell (GBR, bronze) had received their medals, a very happy Chinese ace literally jumps to the highest step when she is called to receive her gold award. It was one of the moments of the Paris competition, in what was also the most followed (TV-wise) weightlifting event of the entire Games. Born in March 2000, Li is one of the five female lifters so far with two Olympic titles. Her road to stardom started in 2019, when she is second at the IWF World Cup. In the same year, she wins her first continental title in Asia (she got two more gold medals, in 2020 and 2023), and she is also first at the IWF Worlds (in the +87kg category, 146-186-332). After Tokyo’s achievement, she is the best at the 2022 IWF showcase, and she already gives a good indication of her motivation for Paris 2024, winning some months before the IWF World Cup in 145-180-325. Li is also the current WR holder in her category for the Clean and Jerk (187kg) and Total

IWF120y/97 – 1972: Zygmunt Smalcerz leads Polish success in Munich

The Munich 1972 Olympic Games were particularly successful for the Polish weightlifting team, with its athletes getting three medals (one of each colour). The shiniest star of the group was Zygmunt Smalcerz, the champion in the 52kg category. Despite his tiny body structure (he is 1.53m high), the Polish ace got in Germany the main achievement of his career, clinching the title in 112.5-100-125-337.5 (it was the last edition of the Olympics with the Press movement). Behind him in Munich, two Hungarian competitors were relatively distant – Szucs got the silver with a total of 330kg, and Holczreiter was third in 327.5kg. Four years later, Smalcerz had a good motivation to revalidate the Olympic title, but an unfortunate injury in Montreal jeopardised his plans (he had to withdraw from the competition). At the IWF Worlds, the Polish champion was more successful, collecting two gold medals (in 1971 and 1975) and placing third in 1973. At the continental level, Smalcerz dominated the field between 1971 and 1975, earning four gold medals. His only recognised World Record during this period dates from May 1972, when he lifted 103kg in the Snatch. After the conclusion of his career as an athlete at the end of the 1970s (he was born in 1941), he took the coaching path: in 2008, he was namely the Head Coach of the Polish Team competing at the Beijing Olympics. More recently, he has also provided valuable services internationally, namely with the teams of the USA and Norway.

IWF120y/96 – 1964: Sam Coffa proudly competes for Australia at the Olympics

On his passport, the official name is Salvatore Coffa, but the entire weightlifting world knows him as Sam Coffa. After a successful career as an athlete, coach, manager, official and administrator, the first years of his life were however modest, within a Sicilian family experiencing the difficulties and challenges caused by World War II. Born in Ferla (Sicily, Italy) in January 1936, Coffa emigrated with the family to Australia in 1952, in search of other horizons and opportunities. He will quickly integrate the community in Hawthorn (suburbs of Melbourne), by practicing and developing weightlifting in the local club. As an athlete, he progresses quickly, and after acquiring Australian citizenship in 1959, he takes part in the 1962 Commonwealth Games and 1964 Olympic Games, representing his new country. If the results in Tokyo are somehow deceiving, his most vivid and emotional memory remains the opening ceremony, where he could, in his own words, “proudly march behind the Australian flag”. After his retirement as an athlete, he remains a pillar in the development of weightlifting in his town, in the state of Victoria, in Australia (he is presently at the helm of the national body), in the Commonwealth community, continental federation, and at the IWF level. Sam Coffa is the world reference in terms of the weightlifting rules, currently chairing the IWF Technical Committee – he is also a member of the IWF Executive Board, where his highest position was of First Vice-President. Also involved with politics, he was Mayor of Hawthorn on two occasions, was awarded the membership of the Order of Australia, and was inducted into the Weightlifting Hall of Fame in 2009.

IWF120y/95 – 1906: Weightlifting again represented at the Intercalated Games

They are often named the “Forgotten Games”, but they were originally called the “Second International Olympic Games in Athens”. Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the Modern Olympic Movement, was opposed to the idea of staging this event in the Hellenic capital in 1906, but several factors led to its organisation: the unsuccessful “official” Games in Paris 1900 (all resources going to the Universal Exhibition running in parallel) and St-Louis 1904 (travelling to the USA was not as easy as in present days…); the desire of the Greek officials to “extend” the achievements of the first edition of the Games in 1896 (where our sport was already included), celebrating in the best possible way the 10th anniversary of the Games revival; finally, the possibility for the many athletes that could not travel to St-Louis to take part in an international competition. For the IWF, it was also the opportunity to gather the best lifters of that time, just 10 months after its foundation, in June 1905. Despite the desire for some regulation, athletes from Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Sweden, and Turkey continued to perform in just two events: one-hand and two-hand lift. Josef Steinbach (AUT) was the best at one-hand, while Dimitrios Tofalos (photo) became a local hero after winning the two-hand competition. Italy, Germany, and France were the other countries with weightlifting medals. Overall, the Games were a success, with the participation of 854 athletes from 20 nations, competing in 12 sports. The Hellenic idea of keeping these Games in Athens every four years (between the “official” Olympic Games) was abandoned after financial difficulties dictated the cancellation of the 1910 edition, and World War I compromised the 1914 and 1918 Games. Because of that, the IOC never officially recognised the performances of the 1906 event as Olympic results. Photo credit: