Weightlifting at the 1980 Summer Olympics

The USA-led boycott did not have a major effect on weightlifting at the 1980 Olympics, as most of the top nations were from the Eastern Bloc or controlled by the Soviet Union. Eight nations won medals, all of them Communist countries, led by the Soviet Union and Bulgaria, with eight medals each, although the Soviets won 5 of the 10 classes.

The weightlifting events were held at the Dvorets Sporta Izmaylovo, or Ismaylovo Palace of Sports, in Moskva. One change in the program was that a new class was added. In 1972, a heavyweight class for lifters ≤110 kg was added, but in Moskva, this was split into two classes – Heavyweight I (≤100 kg) and Heavyweight II (≤110 kg). One odd thing that occurred in 1980 was that there were no positive doping cases announced. Yeah, sure.