Heavyweight I (≤100 kilograms), Men

Rolf Milser would have been a medal contender at Moskva in 1980, but West Germany supported the USA-led boycott and he could not compete. Milser had been World Champion in 1978 and runner-up in 1977 and 1979. The 1983 World Champion was Pavel Kuznetsov who would win the 1984 Friendship Games with a total of 427.5 kg. Milser won the 1984 Olympic gold, lifting quite a bit less, with 385.0 kg. At the 1988 Olympics, Kuznetsov won the gold medal, lifting 425.0 kg.

The Olympic bronze went to Finland’s Pekka Niemi, who was so unheralded that he was lifting in the B group. Niemi lifted in the afternoon and did not stay for the evening session but went to watch track & field at the Los Angeles Coliseum. When the competition ended, the officials scrambled to find Niemi but could not, so they held the medal ceremony without him. The next day, Niemi received his bronze medal in a special ceremony.