Light-Heavyweight (≤82½ kg), Men

Frenchman Louis Hostin was the defending gold medalist, had won silver in 1928 at Amsterdam, and he returned and comfortably defended his title. He had also been European Champion in 1930 and 1935. World record holder and 1934 European Champion Fritz Hala of Austria was well back in fifth place. The silver medal eventually went to German Eugen Deutsch, who was initially disqualified for missing all three snatches. However, on appeal, the jury reinstated one of his snatches, which moved him into second place, to the consternation of the non-German competitors.

Hala would win the 1937 World Championship in this class, defeating Hostin, who took silver. In 1938, Hala was second and Hostin third to American teenager John Davis who, after the war, would win seven straight heavyweight titles in the Worlds and Olympics (1946-1952).