Heavyweight (≤105 kilograms), Men

The favorites were the last two World Champions, Denys Hotfrid of Ukraine (1999) and his teammate, Ihor Razoronov (1998). Razoronov led after the snatch with 192.5 kg, with Hotfrid lifting 190.0 kg, tied with Iran’s Hossein Tavakoli, Qatari Asaad Said Saif, the former Angel Popov (Bulgaria), Russian Yevgeny Chigishev, and Moldovan Alexandru Bratan. Hotfrid then missed all three of his clean & jerks and was out of the competition. Gold eventually went to Tavakoli in a major upset – he had no significant international results previously, other than a victory at the 1999 Asian Games, a relatively minor competition. Said Saif won the bronze medal behind Bulgaria’s Alan Tsagaev.

Bulgaria had already had three of their lifters in Sydney test positive at doping controls, and the weightlifting team was seemingly expelled from the 2000 Olympics. However, Bulgaria paid the International Weightlifting Federation a “fine” (or bribe) of $50,000 and Tsagaev was allowed to compete by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Said Saif was one of eight Bulgarian weightlifters who transferred allegiance to Qatar in 1999 for a reported transfer fee of $1,000,000, with the lifters also paid by the Qataris. Popov/Said Saif was the only Bulqatarian to win a medal in Sydney.