Heavyweight II (≤110 kilograms), Men

Shortly after the 1989 World Championships, Ronny Weller was involved in a car crash which left him in a coma for several months. His girlfriend had been in the car with him and was killed. He was able to resume competing in March 1991 and finished second at the 1991 World Championships to Soviet Artur Akoyev. Akoyev was considered a co-favorite with Bulgarian Stefan Botev, the 1989-90 World Champion. Botev no longer wanted to represent Bulgaria as he had emigrated to Australia. However the Bulgarian weightlifting officials would not release Botev to compete for Australia and demanded that he compete at the 1992 Olympics for his native country. The same held true for Nicu Vlad, a Romanian who had won the 1984 Olympic middle-heavyweight gold medal and had also recently emigrated to Australia. He also could not get a release and competed in Barcelona for Romania. Vlad also wanted to compete as a heavyweight I but his qualifying mark had come in the heavyweight II class and he was forced to compete in this class, giving up 5 kg of bodyweight to his competitors.

Akoyev led the competition with 195.0 kg after the snatch, followed by Weller with 192.5 kg and Botev and Vlad with 190.0 kg. Vlad was unable to match the others in the clean & jerk and would finish fourth. Weller listed 240.0 kg in the clean & jerk to win the gold medal, with Akoyev taking silver and Botev bronze.

Weller and Botev would move up to the super-heavyweight division, winning silver and bronze medals at Atlanta in 1996, Botev while competing for Australia. Vlad would win a silver medal for Australia in this class at the 1994 World Championships.