Heavyweight (>82½ kilograms), Men

There were no European or World Championships between 1924 and 1928 so it was difficult to choose a favorite. The 1924 gold medalist was Italy’s Giuseppe Tonani and he was back in Amsterdam, but would finish only seventh. German Josef Straßberger took a big lead with 122.5 kg in the press and held it after the snatch, leading by 10.0 kg over Rudolf Schilberg of Austria. Schilberg dropped back to fifth, but Straßberger had an easy time winning the gold medal. Despite world records in the clean & jerk by Estonian Arnold Luhaäär and Czechoslovakia Jaroslav Skobla, Straßberger won by 12.5 kg, with Luhaäär second and Skobla third.

All three medalists would win further Olympic medals in weightlifting, with Skobla moving up to gold at Los Angeles, while Straßberger dropped back to the bronze that year. Luhaäär again made the podium in Berlin with a silver medal. Straßberger won the 1929 European title and then won a bronze medal at that event in 1930-31 and 1933-34, while Luhaäär finished second at the 1933 Europeans and a bronze at the 1938 Worlds. Skobla had won the last World Championships held in this era, as a light-heavyweight, back in 1923. His son, Jiří Skobla, won a shot put bronze medal at the 1956 Olympics.