Light-Heavyweight (≤85 kilograms), Men

2008 Olympic champion Lu Yong of China returned to the 2012 Summer Games to defend his title, having earned additional ones at the 2009 World Championships, the 2010 Asian Games, and the 2011 Asian Championships. He was not the only favorite, however, with snatch and total world record holder Andrey Rybakov of Belarus, twice World (2006 and 2007) and once European Champion (2006) and two-time Olympic silver medalist returning in the hopes of finally capturing the crown. Also in the mix were Kianoush Rostami of Iran, reigning World Champion and runner-up in the last two Asian Championships, his compatriot Sourab Moradi, twice Asian Champion (2009 and 2012), and Raul Tsirek’idze of Georgia, the reigning European Champion.

Moradi and Rybakov were eliminated in the snatch portion, failing to lift 166 kg and 175 kg respectively in three attempts, with Rybakov upping his weight to 180 kg in the final try. 175 kg alone would have been sufficient to take second place in the snatch, matching Apti Aukhadov’s lift, but ranking higher based on his lower bodyweight. Aukhadov, a Russian, had been the runner-up at the 2011 European Championships and was behind only Lu’s lift of 178 kg. Coming in third with 174 kg was Adrian Zieliński of Poland, 2010 World Champion and 2011 bronze medalist.

In the clean and jerk portion, 205 kg seemed to be a key weight. Yoelmis Hernández of Cuba, 2010 Pan American Champion and reigning Pan American Games Champion went first and successfully brought himself into second place behind Ivan Markov of Bulgaria, who had only lifted 203 kg thus far, but had the fourth-best score, 172 kg, in the snatch. Tarek Yahia of Egypt, a 2010 world bronze medalist in the middleweight division, then matched the weight and positioned himself above the Cuban, before Aukhadov lifted the same weight and moved into first place. Lu, meanwhile, surprisingly failed three times in a row to lift the weight and was thus eliminated from the competition. Zieliński at first looked to be going the same way, failing at his initial attempt at 206 kg, but boosting himself into first place after a successful second lift. Rostami came out at 209 kg to tie Zieliński and Aukhadov in total lift and move into gold medal position by virtue of his lighter weight. Markov, now outside of the medals, was unable to respond and lost his chance of making the podium. Hernández also failed, at a weight of 210 kg, but Yehia and Aukhadov succeeded, bringing them into fourth and first places respectively. Zieliński followed with a successful lift of 211 kg, tying the Russian’s score and pushing into the gold medal spot with his lower body weight. Aukhadov attempted to respond with a 212 kg lift but failed, leaving him with nothing to do but wait and see if he would retain his silver medal after Rostami and Yahia’s final lifts. The Iranian went first, attempting 214 kg to tie Zieliński and Aukhadov (and win by body weight), but failed twice and remained in third place. Yehia tried to lift 216 kg, which would have given him not only the bronze medal, but the Olympic record as well, but was unable to do so, leaving him in fourth.

That was how the event and the results seemed to have ended. In 2015, however, the IOC began re-testing samples from the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics, using newer, more advanced testing techniques, in an effort to find those who had used performance enhancing drugs (PEDs), but in whom it could not be detected at the time of those Olympics. This was one of the many events affected.

In October 2016 Russian Apti Aukhadov, the original silver medalist, was disqualified for a positive re-test for turinabol (dehydrochloromethyltestosterone) and drostanolone, both anabolic steroids, losing his silver medal. Iranian Kianoush Rostami advanced to the silver medal position, while Egyptian Tarek Yahia received the bronze medal. Georgian lifter Raul Tsirek’idze, who originally finished ninth, was also disqualified, after a positive re-test for turinabol (dehydrochloromethyltestosterone) and stanozolol announced in November 2016.