Heavyweight (>82½ kilograms), Men

The overwhelming favorite was American John Davis. He had been light-heavyweight World Champion in 1938 and won the heavyweight title in both 1946 and 1947. Davis took the lead from the start, lifting 137.5 kg in the press to lead by 10.0 kg over Dutchman Bram Charité. Davis also lifted 137.5 kg in the snatch to lead that phase, taking a 20.0 kg lead over his teammate, Norb Schemansky. Davis again had the best mark in the clean & jerk, 177.5 kg, to win the gold over Schemansky by 27.5 kg, with Charité taking bronze.

Davis would return in 1952 and repeated as gold medalist. He would remain undefeated from 1938-52, before placing second to Canada’s Doug Hepburn at the 1953 World Championships, after which Davis retired. Schemansky competed at three more Olympics, winning a gold medal in 1952 in the new middle-heavyweight class, and returning to the heavyweight division in 1960 and 1964, winning bronze medals both times. He was the first Olympic lifter to win four medals, something that has been repeated only three other times through 2012, and not done again until 2000.