Lightweight (≤67½ kilograms), Men

Poland’s Waldemar Baszanowski was the gold medalist in 1964 and 1968 and was considered the greatest pound-for-pound lifter of the 60s. He was back but had lost the last two World Championships to his teammate Zbigniew Kaczmarek, although Baszanowski still held the world record with 450.0 kg. The lead after the press was taken by Bulgarian Mladen Kuchev, who was unknown internationally, but set a world record with his lift of 157.5 kg. Soviet Mukharby Kirzhinov, bronze medalist at the 1971 Worlds, then snatched 135.0 kg and he and Kuchev were tied going into the final lifts. When Kirzhinov cleaned & jerked a world record of 177.5, he had the gold medal with a world record total of 460.0 kg, followed by Kuchev, who matched Baszanowski’s prior world record. Kaczmarek won bronze, with Baszanowski placing fourth. Austrian Walter Legel originally placed 15th, but was disqualified for a doping positive, having been found with traces of amphetamines in his system.