Super-Heavyweight (>110 kilograms), Men

Soviet Vasily Alekseyev was the defending champion and had not been defeated since 1970. From 1970-77 he set 79 world records, although Alekseyev was known to better the world record by the minimal amount possible, because he was given financial bonuses by the Soviet government for every world record he broke. Alekseyev was expected to win easily, and he did, leading after the snatch by 15 kg and winning the gold medal by 35 kg over East German Gerd Bonk. Bonk, the 1976 and 1979 European Champion, had also been second to Alekseyev at the 1975 World Championships but was unlucky to compete in the same era and never won a major international championship in which Alekseyev competed. Alekseyev would try to three-peat in 1980 at Moskva but was by then past his prime, failed to make a lift in the snatch, and was eliminated.