Andrey Chemerkin began taking sport seriously when he was 14-years-old, initially in track and field, before playing football, and then finally settling on weightlifting. During his career Chemerkin became one of the best weightlifters in Russia, winning multiple world and Olympic medals in the super-heavyweight class. In 1993 he won his first medal at the World Championships with a bronze, followed by silver a year later. In 1995 Chemerkin won his first gold at the championships before going on to become the world champion on three more occasions (1997–99).
From 1994 to 1996 Chemerkin set seven world records, one in the snatch, four in the clean & jerk, and two in the total. In 1994 and 1995 he also became the European champion, earning himself a place on the Russian Olympic team. At the 1996 Atlanta Games he set a then world record lift of 457.5 kg to win gold. One year later he was named Russia’s Athlete of the Year. In 2000 Chemerkin returned to the Olympics, where he won bronze at the Sydney Games.
Russian Federation