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| Event type

Middleweight (≤75 kilograms), Men

Date26 July 1952 — 20:00
StatusOlympic
LocationMessuhalli II, Helsinki
Participants21 from 20 countries
FormatTotal of best lifts in military press, snatch, and clean & jerk determined placement. Ties broken by lightest bodyweight.

Pete George had won a silver medal in this event at London in 1948. He was also second at the 1949 and 1950 World Championships, both times trailing Egypt’s Khadr El-Touni, the 1936 Olympic champion, but George came into Helsinki as the favorite after winning the 1951 World Championships, in which El-Touni placed third. El-Touni did not compete in Helsinki, but Kim Seong-Jip, bronze medalist at London, was back. Kim led after the press, tied with Canada’s Gérard Gratton with 122.5 kg, with George well back with 115.0 kg. George then moved into a comfortable lead with his snatch of 127.5 kg, and his clean & jerk of 157.5 kg was also the best of the competition, which brought him the gold medal. Gratton and Kim both lifted 112.5 kg in the snatch to remain tied, but Gratton won the silver medal with his clean & jerk of 155.0 kg, while Kim took the bronze medal. This was one of only two classes in Helsinki in which no Soviet lifter competed, the other being the heavyweight division.

PosCompetitor(s)NOCK
1Pete GeorgeUSA400.0ORGold
2Gerry GrattonCAN390.0Silver
3Kim Seong-JipKOR382.5Bronze
4Ismail RagabEGY382.5
5Moustafa LahamLBN370.0
6Åke HedbergSWE357.5
7Ángel SposatoARG357.5
8Jalal MansouriIRI357.5
9Frank TeräskariFIN352.5
10André DochyFRA350.0
11Václav Pšenička, Jr.TCH350.0
12Jan SmeekensNED345.0
13Jørgen MoritzenDEN340.0
14Emmerich BauerAUT337.5
15Fred GiffinAUS335.0
16Thor OlsenNOR325.0
17Muhammad Iqbal ButtPAK325.0
18Ilie Dociu EnciuROU322.5
19Walter DossenbachSUI312.5
20Jacques FlurySUI310.0
ACDavid PimentelMEX197.5