Strongest and Most Powerful Athletes in Sports History

These are the strongest Olympic weightlifters of all time, and they did a lot more than pull their own weight.

The first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896, and they looked a lot different than they do now. Only 13 nations participated, and there were only 43 events, including weightlifting.

It’s easy to understand why weightlifting was so popular. Anyone can train to lift heavy things, and feats of brute strength always excite sports fans. Since the Olympics began, weightlifters have kept getting stronger.

Today, the Olympic record for total weight lifted is about double what it was a century ago. How did we get here? These are the strongest weightlifters in Olympics history, the men who won heavyweight or super heavyweight gold.

1920 Antwerp: Filippo Bottino

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Country: Italy

Weight: 218 pounds (99 kilograms)

Total weight lifted: 584.2 pounds (265 kilograms)

Bottom line: Born in 1888, Filippo Bottino first made headlines as a weightlifter at the 1920 Olympics, winning his first gold medal. The Italian heavyweight made international news in 1922 when he became the first Italian lifter to break a world record.

He continued competing for a few more years, but he only made it to sixth place at the Paris Olympics in 1924. Still, he was one of the strongest men in the world at the time.

The Italian Republic made him a knight for his athletic achievements and granted him a Medal of Honour for Sporting Merit.

1924 Paris: Giuseppe Tonani

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Country: Italy

Weight: 240.3 pounds (109 kilograms)

Total weight Lifted: 1140.9 pounds (517.5 kilograms)

Bottom line: Italian athlete Giuseppe Tonani didn’t start out as an Olympic weightlifter. He first competed in the tug-of-war event during the 1920 Olympics. Paris was his first time placing as a weightlifter, and he walked away with a gold medal. He returned in 1928, but placed seventh.

Despite “only” winning one Olympic gold, he was an eight-time national champion in Italy, and continued winning until his late 40s.

After he retired, he chose a peaceful existence running a farm in northern Italy.

1928 Amsterdam: Josef Strassberger

Josef Strassberger, Olympic weightlifter

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Country: Germany

Weight: 187.4 pounds (85 kilograms)

Total weight lifted: 821.22 pounds (372.5 kilograms)

Bottom line: Weightlifting wasn’t an obvious choice for Josef Strassberger. He lost the tips of two of his fingers in an accident, so firmly gripping extremely heavy barbells in the clean and jerk was a tall order. He more than made up for his shortcomings there by performing exceptionally at the military press.

He ended up setting 10 heavyweight and super heavyweight world records over the course of 16 years — six in the press, two in the snatch and two in total weight lifted.

Decades later, a street was named in Strassberger’s honor at the 1972 Olympic Village.

1932 Los Angeles: Jaroslav Skobla

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Country: Czechoslovakia

Weight: 183 pounds (83 kilograms)

Total weight lifted: 837.7 pounds (380 kilograms)

Bottom line: Jaroslav Skobla wasn’t the biggest weightlifter, but he still was one of the best weightlifters in Olympic history in his class. He started out competing in his homeland of Czechoslovakia, winning the national title five times. He continued to win two Olympic gold medals and a world champion title before calling it quits for a simpler life.

Skobla went on to work as a humble policeman in Czechoslovakia. He was an anti-communist, however, so when the communists took over, he changed professions and began working as a part-time bouncer in a local pub.

He passed away of lung cancer at just 60, but his son continued his Olympic legacy by winning a bronze medal in the shot put competition at the 1956 Olympics.

1936 Berlin: Josef Manger

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Country: Germany

Weight: 231 pounds (105 kilograms)

Total weight lifted: 903.9 pounds (410 kilograms)

Bottom line: Starting out with a silver medal at the 1934 European Championships during your weightlifting debut is a pretty solid start, indeed. Josef Manger wasn’t done. He won the championship the following year, followed by gold medals at the Berlin Olympics and the two following world championships.

He made an unofficial world record in 1939, but World War II prevented international competitions from continuing. Had all his records been counted, he would have broken world records 20 different times.

Everyone needs a career after the Olympics, so Manger spent the rest of his years as a salesman.

1948 London: John Davis

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Country: United States

Weight: 217.5 pounds (98.64 kilograms)

Total weight lifted: 997.6 pounds (452.5 kilograms)

Bottom line: John Davis won his first world championship when he was just 17. Within the weightlifting sphere, his name soon became common knowledge.

He won a total of eight world championships and gold medals at two different Olympic Games during a winning streak that lasted for 15 years, making him one of the best weightlifters in history.

But World War II got in the way for him as well. He served four years in the U.S. Army, then returned to weightlifting as soon as the international competition scene restarted.

1952 Helsinki: John Davis

AP Photo

Country: United States

Weight: 217.5 pounds (98.64 kilograms)

Total weight lifted: 997.6 pounds (452.5 kilograms)

Bottom line: Despite being one of the shortest competitors at just 5 feet 8, he became the first lifter to clean and jerk over 400 pounds.

He went on to serve as a corrections officer after retiring from weightlifting.

He passed away in 1984 from cancer at the age of 63.

1956 Melbourne: Paul Anderson

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Country: United States

Weight: 309.01 pounds (137.9 kilograms)

Total weight lifted: 1102.3 pounds (500 kilograms)

Bottom line: Paul Anderson seemed to have a pretty ordinary childhood. He had a knack for football, but it wasn’t obvious that he had any kind of super strength. Before he hit 20, however, people began to recognize his talent.

He walked into a gym at 19 and easily squatted 550 pounds, which was only 25 pounds less than the standing world record at the time.

It’s no wonder he was called the “Strongest Man Alive” for over a decade.

1960 Rome: Yury Vlasov

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Country: Soviet Union

Weight: 276-300 pounds (125-136 kilograms)

Total weight lifted: 788.15 pounds (537.5 kilograms)

Bottom line: Yury Vlasov’s ascent to the weightlifting throne began in 1956. He took up weight lifting while studying at the Air Force Academy in Moscow. Two years later, he won a bronze medal at the Soviet championships, followed by gold medals at both the European and world championships.

For a span of four years, he was impossible to beat. By the time he retired, he had set 34 world records in the super heavyweight class.

As it turns out, the brawny champion also had some brains to share. He went on to pursue writing and led a successful career as a novelist.

1964 Tokyo: Leonid Zhabotinsky

Leonid Zhabotinsky lifting with reaction

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Country: Soviet Union

Weight: 359 pounds (163 kilograms)

Total weight lifted: 1262.15 pounds (572.5 kilograms)

Bottom line: Leonid Zhabotynskiy is known as a bit of a thief, after he “stole” the title of “World’s Strongest Man” from Yury Vlasov at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.

Vlasov was expected to win, but Zhabtynskiy crept in and broke his record out of nowhere. He then went on to have one of the longest weightlifting careers in history, continuing for over a decade.

Zhabotynskiy is still remembered as one of the strongest men in the world, and one of weightlifting’s greats.

1968 Mexico City: Leonid Zhabotinsky

Leonid Zhabotinsky in training session in Mexico City

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Country: Soviet Union

Weight: 359 pounds (163 kilograms)

Total weight lifted: 1262.15 pounds (572.5 kilograms)

Bottom line: When Leonid Zhabotinsky retired from the sport, he became a coach for the Soviet Army, and later for the Madagascar national weightlifting team. He also worked for the Moscow Institute of Business and Law.

Both of his sons ended up competing in weightlifting just like he did, but without any groundbreaking achievements like his.

To be fair, Zhabotinsky’s legacy is a hard one to beat. He was even Arnold Schwarzenegger’s idol.

1972 Munich: Jaan Talts

AP Photo

Country: Soviet Union

Weight: 241.4 pounds (109.5 kilograms)

Total weight lifted: 1278.58 pounds (580 kilograms)

Bottom line: Track stars usually don’t cross over into weight lifting, but Jaan Talts did. After competing as a shot putter as a kid, he took up weightlifting in college just for fun. He was remarkably good at it and soon became one of the best heavyweight lifters worldwide.

He wasn’t a super heavyweight lifter so he was never classified as one of the strongest weightlifters in the world, but he broke barriers within his weight class. Most notably, he broke the 500 kilogram barrier (1,102.3 pounds), winning him the title of “Best Soviet Athlete of the Year” in 1967.

After retirement, he worked as a coach and later on the Estonian National Olympic Committee. He also joined the Estonian Parliament.

1972 Munich (Super Heavyweight): Vasily Alekseyev

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Country: Soviet Union

Weight: 336 pounds (152.8 kilograms)

Total weight lifted: 1410.96 pounds (640 kilograms)

Bottom line: The 1972 Olympics introduced two new weight classes to the Olympics, flyweight and super heavyweight, which was for lifters who weighed over 110 kilograms, or 242.5 pounds.

Vasily Alekseyev retired about 40 years ago, but he is still considered by many to be the greatest super heavyweight lifter who ever lived.

He won eight Olympic gold medals in a row, and won every competition he entered for eight years straight. He also set an unprecedented 78 world records.

1976 Montreal: Yury Zaitsev

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Country: Soviet Union

Weight: Unknown

Total weight lifted: 848.78 pounds (385 kilograms)

Bottom line: Born in Russia in 1951, Yury Zaitsev represented Kazakhstan and Ukraine at the 1976 Olympics. The Soviet Union’s team was loaded with weightlifting powerhouses that year, and they won almost every weight class.

Zaitsev set three heavyweight world records during his career and won a gold medal in 1976, in addition to several Soviet Cup titles. When he retired in 1980, he became a coach in his homeland of Ukraine.

After retiring from being the strongest man in Olympic history, he led a quiet life. The Soviet Union disintegrated, and he left athletics and became a cab driver and a pig farmer.

1976 Montreal (Super Heavyweight): Vasily Alekseyev

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Country: Soviet Union

Weight: 353 pounds (160 kilograms)

Total weight lifted: 970 pounds (440 kilograms)

Bottom line: Alekseyev probably would have set more records if an injury hadn’t got in the way.

He attempted to compete in the 1978 world championships while injured, which resulted in further injury and prompted his retirement.

Fun fact: He married a woman named Olympiada, because why not?

1980 Moscow: Leonid Taranenko

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Country: Soviet Union

Weight: 242.29 pounds (109.9 kilograms)

Total weight lifted: 931.45 pounds (422.5 kilograms)

Bottom line: While some weightlifters don’t show their potential until they reach their adult size, Leonid Taranenko’s gift was realized early. Local coaches fought over him when he was a teenager, encouraging him to get involved in throwing, wrestling or weightlifting.

He eventually settled on weightlifting, and it was a good call. He went on to become one of the strongest men in the world.

But barbells weren’t the only weights he had to lift. After his father died unexpectedly, Taranenko worked as a milling machine operator to help his family make ends meet. He didn’t give up on weightlifting, though, and set several world records — some of which still stand today.

1980 Moscow (Super Heavyweight): Sultan Rakhmanov

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Country: Soviet Union

Weight: 320.22 pounds (145.25 kilograms)

Total weight lifted: 970 pounds (440 kilograms)

Bottom line: When teammate Vasily Alekseyev was eliminated from competition, Sultan Rakhmanov stepped up to the plate. He won easily at the 1980 Olympics and took home gold medals at two back-to-back World Weightlifting Championships.

For his gold medal, he was given the distinction of “The Order of the Red Banner of Labour.” He ended up serving as chairman of the International Association of Disabled Sports Veterans, where he worked until he passed away in 2003 at just 52 of a sudden heart attack.

1984 Los Angeles: Norberto Oberburger

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Country: Italy

Weight: 247 pounds (112 kilograms)

Total weight lifted: 639.34 pounds (290 kilograms)

Bottom line: Norberto Oberburger could have opened a hamburger joint with a name like that, but he decided to become one of the strongest weightlifters in history instead.

He won gold at the 1984 Olympics and another in the world championships the same year, but his success diminished after that. After a series of disappointing competitions, he failed a doping test and was disqualified. He later appealed the decision and ended up competing again at the 1992 Olympics.

Once he left the sport, he took up German shepherd breeding and training.

1984 Los Angeles (Super Heavyweight): Dean Lukin

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Country: Australia

Weight: 304 pounds (138 kilograms)

Total weight lifted: 909.4 pounds (412.5 kilograms)

Bottom line: Dean Lukin, affectionately nicknamed “Dinko,” won gold in the 1984 Olympics unlimited class, and also placed first in the world championships and two Commonwealth Games.

Weightlifting wasn’t his entire life, however. He started out as a tuna fisherman and went back to his original, fishy career after he retired from sports.

1988 Seoul: Yury Zakharevich

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Country: Soviet Union

Weight: 241.62 pounds (109.6 kilograms)

Total weight lifted: 1003.1 pounds (455 kilograms)

Bottom line: Yury is a popular name for the strongest weightlifters in the world. Yury Zakharevich, in particular, was shockingly lucky. After severely dislocating his elbow in 1983, he thought he would never lift again. A surgery was able to restore his strength to its former level, and he returned to the scene with a mission.

He dominated the middle heavyweight class to the point that competitors in the super heavyweight class feared he might try to change classes. He ended up competing in multiple classes throughout his career, breaking 38 world records in total.

He stayed close to the sport throughout his life, becoming the vice president of the Russian Weightlifting Federation during the 1990s and the president of the International Weightlifting Federation from 2000 to 2003.

1988 Seoul (Super Heavyweight): Aleksandr Kurlovich

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Country: Soviet Union

Weight: 291.45 pounds (132.2 kilograms)

Total weight lifted: 1019.64 pounds (462.5 kilograms)

Bottom line: Aleksandr Kurlovich was a world record holder on 12 different occasions, in addition to being a two-time Olympic gold medalist and a four-time world champion.

His most impressive lifts were 215 kilograms (473.9 pounds) in the snatch, 260 kilograms (573.2 pounds) in the clean and jerk, and 472.5 kilograms (1041.6 pounds) in total.

1992 Barcelona: Ronny Weller

Ricardo Mazalan / AP Photo

Country: Germany

Weight: 241.19 pounds (109.4 kilograms)

Total weight lifted: 953.5 pounds (432.5 kilograms)

Bottom line: Ronny Weller technically competed for two countries: East Germany and later for Germany. He was famous during the 1990s, breaking 11 world records and achieving the title of world champion three times.

But he was injured during the snatch event at the 2004 Olympics in Athens and was forced to retire. He was only the second weightlifter in history to compete in five different Olympic games.

1992 Barcelona (Super Heavyweight): Aleksandr Kurlovich

Bebeto Matthews / AP Photo

Country: Unified Team

Weight: 288.9 pounds (131.05 kilograms)

Total weight lifted: 992.08 pounds (450 kilograms)

Bottom line: After many years of competition, Aleksandr Kurlovich retired and went on to serve as a member of the National Olympic Committee in Belarus.

He may not have been the strongest man in the world anymore, but he still had an influence on the competition scene.

He became vice president of the European Weightlifting Federation and was inducted into the IWF Weightlifting Hall of Fame in 2006.

1996 Atlanta: Timur Taymazov

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Country: Ukraine

Weight: 236.6 pounds (107.32 kilograms)

Total weight lifted: 948 pounds (430.0 kilograms)

Bottom line: Timur Taymazov was born in 1970 in Nogir, North Ossetia. He became an Olympic champion in 1996 and a two-time world champion.

Athletic achievement was a family affair for Taymazov. His younger brother won Olympic gold, too, in 2004 for freestyle wrestling, and again in 2008 and 2012. But his two latter medals were revoked for discovered doping offenses.

1996 Atlanta (Super Heavyweight): Andrei Chemerkin

Russia's Andrei Chemerkin snatches 197.5kg

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Country: Russia

Weight: 364.8 pounds (165.47 kilograms)

Total weight lifted: 1008.6 pounds (457.5 kilograms)

Bottom line: Andrei Chemerkin was, quite literally, a giant. It’s no wonder he became one of the strongest Olympic weightlifters.

He weighed close to 400 pounds, and he knew what to do with it. He won four world championships and one Olympic gold medal in the super heavyweight class.

He wasn’t the best at the snatch event, but his performance in the clean and jerk was unmatched. Observers noted that his technique was different than other lifters, relying on sheer force.

2000 Sydney: Hossein Tavakkoli

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Country: Iran

Weight: 230.82 pounds (104.7 kilograms)

Total weight lifted: 936.97 pounds (425 kilograms)

Bottom line: Hossein Tavakkoli is the first lifter on this list who’s still involved in the Olympics scene. He won an Olympic gold medal in the men’s 105 kilogram weight class (231.4 pounds) in 2000.

That’s his biggest claim to fame, but he stayed involved in the sport after retirement.

Today, he’s training Ehsan Hadidi, a discus thrower, for the 2020 Olympic Games, to be held in Tokyo, starting in July 2021.

2000 Sydney (Super Heavyweight): Hossein Rezazadeh

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Country: Iran

Weight: 325.14 pounds (147.48 kilograms)

Total weight lifted: 1041.48 pounds (472.5 kilograms)

Bottom line: Hossein Rezazadeh made a name for himself at the 2000 Olympics when he broke the decades-long Russian winning streak. It was the first gold medal in the 105 kilograms or over class by a non-Russian or Soviet athlete since 1960.

Rezazedah went on to win a second Olympic gold and four world championships, plus five Asian championships. He’s still one of the strongest weightlifters ever to grace the Olympic podium.

For his outstanding athletic achievements, he was awarded Iran Sportsperson of the Year a record four times.

2004 Athens: Dmitry Berestov

Koji Sasahara / AP Photo

Country: Russia

Weight: 230.78 pounds (104.68 kilograms)

Total weight lifted: 936.97 pounds (425 kilograms)

Bottom line: See this? This is what victory looks like.

Born in 1980, Dmitry Berestov went home with the gold at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. But the thrill of victory was a little too sweet. Berestov was caught doping in 2006 and was banned from competition for the following two years.

He returned to the competition scene as soon as the suspension was lifted, winning the 2008 European Weightlifting Championships.

2004 Athens (Super Heavyweight): Hossein Rezazadeh

Hasan Sarbakhshian / AP Photo

Country: Iran

Weight: 359.24 pounds (162.95 kilograms)

Total weight lifted: 1041.68 pounds (472.5 kilograms)

Bottom line: Hossein Rezazadeh’s participation in a real estate ad in 2008 sparked national controversy. The real estate agency was based in Dubai, and the agency was promoting the purchase of property in a so-called rival country, which was deemed in poor taste. The Iranian Majles, the national legislative body of Iran, banned any high-profile Iranians from accepting sponsorships as a result.

2008 only got rougher for Rezazadeh. Despite being one of the strongest weightlifters in the world at the time, he was advised not to compete because of his chronic high-blood pressure and a hand injury.

So he announced his retirement and became a counselor for the Iranian National Weightlifting Federation instead.

2008 Beijing: Andrei Aramnau

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Country: Belarus

Weight: 230.96 pounds (104.76 kilograms)

Total weight lifted: 961.22 pounds (436 kilograms)

Bottom line: Andrei Aramnau first became famous when he won silver at the 2004 Junior World Championships in the 94 kilogram (207.2 pounds) category. He won gold the following year in the 105 kilogram class and became world champion not long after. He also won an Olympic gold in Beijing and was awarded the title for Belarus Athlete of the Year.

Aramnau was planning to compete again in 2012, but he hurt his leg badly enough to put him out of the running.

Fun fact: He was born with six fingers on one of his hands and wasn’t permitted to train seriously until one of them was surgically removed.

2008 Beijing (Super Heavyweight): Matthias Steiner

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Country: Germany

Weight: 321.72 pounds (145.93 kilograms)

Total weight lifted: 1016.33 pounds (461 kilograms)

Bottom line: Matthias Steiner started out as an Austrian weightlifter and ended as a German one. He competed for his homeland of Austria for seven years until 2005, and reigned supreme as the Austrian National Champion for four years in a row.

But then, he fell in love. He married a German woman and switched to competing for Germany. His wife died in a car accident, but Steiner continued competing for Germany anyway, winning Olympic weightlifting gold in 2008.

Impressively, he did all of this despite having diabetes.

2012 London: Navab Nassirshalal

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Country: Iran

Weight: 230.19 pounds (104.41 kilograms)

Total weight lifted: 906.1 pounds (411 kilograms)

Bottom line: Navab Nassirshalal was born in 1989 in Iran. He was inspired to start lifting weights by his father when he was 15, and that was the beginning of his path to becoming one of the strongest weightlifters in Olympics history.

He began studying physical education at the Islamic Azad University Masjed Soleyman Branch, and was coached there by Kourosh Bagheri, then a member of the Iranian national team.

He ended up winning gold in the 105 kilogram event at the 2012 London Olympics, along with a few silver and bronze medals at the Asian Weightlifting Championships.

2012 London (Super Heavyweight): Behdad Salimi

Behdad Salimi lifting in London Olympics

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Country: Iran

Weight: 370.8 pounds (168.19 kilograms)

Total weight lifted: 1003.1 pounds (455 kilograms)

Bottom line: Behdad Salimi Kordasiabi is one of the most impressive and determined competitors in weightlifting history.

After winning gold at the 2012 Olympics and eight consecutive Asian Games titles, he tore his ACL and needed a complete knee replacement. After more than two years out of the competition scene, he returned in 2016 to compete in the Fajr Cup in Iran. Remarkably, he won gold.

He pushed on at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, briefly holding the world record for snatch before Lasha Talakhadze broke it again just minutes later.

2016 Rio de Janeiro: Ruslan Nurudinov

Ruslan Nurudinov sticks tongue out while lifting

Mike Groll / AP Photo

Country: Uzbekistan

Weight: 231.4 pounds (104.96 kilograms)

Total weight lifted: 950.19 pounds (431 kilograms)

Bottom line: Ruslan Nurudinov was born in Uzbekistan in 1991. He became the first-ever world champion in weightlifting for his country in 2013 and won a gold medal three years later at the 2016 Olympics.

He also set a new Olympic record for the clean and jerk at 237 kilograms (522.4 pounds), making him one of the strongest weightlifters in Olympic history.

2016 Rio de Janeiro (Super Heavyweight): Lasha Talakhadze

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Country: Georgia

Weight: 336.88 pounds (157.34 kilograms)

Total weight lifted: 1042.79 pounds (473 kilograms)

Bottom line: Lasha Talakhadze is considered the best super heavyweight lifter alive today. The Georgian weight lifter is a four-time world champion, five-time European Champion and an Olympic champion.

He’s the current world record holder pretty much across the board, holding the record in the snatch, clean and jerk and total.

He was awarded the title of IWF Male Lifter of the Year three times and is still one of the strongest men in the world.

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