Bantamweight (≤56 kg), Men

Entering the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, the three-time World champion (2013-15) and 2012 Olympic champion Om Yun-Chol of Korea, had won every major competition he entered since the London Games, where he pulled off the rare feat of winning gold while lifting in the “B” session. Meanwhile, in a career filled with ups and downs, the 2008 Olympic and 2009 World champion, China’s Long Qingquan, missed London in 2012 when he lost the Olympic Trials to Wu Jingbiao, the 2010 World champion. Long also bombed out of the 2015 World Championships, leaving others to doubt his Olympic Games preparation.

But in Rio, Long led after the snatches, and finished with 137 kg to Om’s 134 kg. Then in the clean & jerk, Long then went 161 kg / 166 kg / 170 kg to seal victory, while Om made his third attempt at 169 kg (breaking his own Olympic record) after missing the weight on his second attempt. Long proved he was again on top of his game, when he set a world record total of 307 kg (beating Halil Mutlu’s 305 kg record from 2000), while Om managed a 303 kg total, and had to settle for silver, thus ending a remarkable international win streak.

The bronze medal was won by Thailand’s Sinphet Kruaithong who became the first Thai male weightlifter to win an Olympic medal. Sadly his grandmother, who was at home watching her grandson on television, collapsed and died celebrating this victory.