Bantamweight (≤56 kilograms), Men

This class brought together two of the greatest small lifters of the 1960s – Hungary’s Imre Földi and Iran’s Mohammad Nassiri. There had been no World Championships in 1967 but at the 1966 meet they had finished 2-3 behind the defending champion, Aleksey Vakhonin of the Soviet Union, but he was no longer on the Soviet team because of undisclosed transgressions. In his absence Nassiri and Földi fought it out with Földi leading after the press and snatch by 10 kg, but Nassiri called for 150 kg in the clean & jerk, 9 kg above his own world record, and successfully lifted it to tie Földi with 367.5 kg, equalling the world record. Based on bodyweight, Nassiri won the gold medal and Földi silver. In 1972 at München they would reverse those positions, with Földi winning gold. Nassiri’s 150 kg lift in the clean & jerk would not be bettered at the Olympics until 1980.