Super-Heavyweight (>102 kg), Men

As was tradition, the heaviest men’s weight class was again contested as the last weightlifting event in Paris. The class was now for lifters over 102 kg, down from the 109 kg that was contested at the Tokyo Games.

Lasha Talakhadze (GEO), Ali Davoudi (IRI), and Man Asaad (SYR), who won gold, silver, and bronze in Tokyo, respectively, were all present in Paris hoping to add to their medal hauls. As well as being the defending Olympic Champion, Talakhadze was the clear favorite, with him also being the World Champion and the world record holder in the weight class. Other strong contenders included the European Champion Varazdat Lalayan (ARM), and the Asian Games Champion Gor Minasyan (BRN).

Minasyan took an early lead when he lifted 216 kg in the snatch, followed by Lalayan and Talakhadze, who both lifted 215 kg. Only the Algerian lifter Walid Bidani was eliminated at this stage of the competition after failing to make a valid lift. Talakhadze came back in the clean & jerk with 255 kg to lead ahead of Lalayan and Minasyan. Talakhadze finished with 470 kg to take his third consecutive gold in the super-heavyweight class at the Olympics, with Lalayan winning silver. Minasyan took home bronze to win the first Olympic medal in weightlifting for Bahrain. He had previously won silver at the 2016 Rio Games representing Armenia, the country of his birth.