Pages of history
Soviet Weightlifters at World Championships
English summary of Tyazhelaya Atletika. Ezhegodnik 1983 (Moscow: Fizkultura i Sport, 1983), pp. 69–73: the text is paraphrased, not translated; data tables are given in full with English labels.
The championships
- 1898 first world championship; until 1920 run by various national bodies (four in 1911: three in Germany, one in Australia).
- 1920 FIH founded (Fédération Internationale Haltérophile), later FIHC, then IWF. Official championships since 1922: 36 by 1982; 5 with the Olympics (1964, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1980), 17 with the European Championships (VII–XII, XIV–XVIII, XXI, XXIII, XXIX, XXXI, XXXV, XXXVI).
- Classes (kg): 5 (60, 67.5, 75, 82.5, +82.5); 1947 — 6 (+56); 1951 — 7 (90 and +90 replace +82.5); 1969 — 9 (52, 110, +110 replace +90); 1977 — 10 (+100).
- Lifts: five 1922, four 1923, three 1937–72, two from 1973.
- Medals: for the total only until 1968; also per lift from 1969 (XXIII).
- Team points (since 1922): 1922–48 3-2-1; 1949–51 5-3-1; 1953–76 7-5-4-3-2-1; from 1977 12-9-8…1 for ten places, in the total and each lift.
Table 1. USSR team results at world championships
| World championship | Points (total) | Place | Points by event | ||
| snatch | clean & jerk | total | |||
| V (1946, Paris) | 9 | 2nd | |||
| VIII (1950, Paris) | 14 | 3rd | |||
| X (1953, Stockholm) | 40 | 1st | |||
| XI (1954, Vienna) | 48 | 1st | |||
| XII (1955, Munich) | 43 | 1st | |||
| XIII (1957, Tehran) | 47 | 1st | |||
| XIV (1958, Stockholm) | 45 | 1st | |||
| XV (1959, Warsaw) | 43 | 1st | |||
| XVI (1961, Vienna) | 42 | 1st | |||
| XVII (1962, Budapest) | 37 | 1st | |||
| XVIII (1963, Stockholm) | 38 | 1st | |||
| XIX (1964, Tokyo) | 43 | 1st | |||
| XX (1965, Tehran) | 32 | 2nd | |||
| XXI (1966, Berlin) | 39 | 1st | |||
| XXII (1968, Mexico City) | 39 | 1st | |||
| XXIII (1969, Warsaw) | 38 | 1st | |||
| XXIV (1970, Columbus) | 43 | 1st | |||
| XXV (1971, Lima) | 51 | 1st | |||
| XXVI (1972, Munich) | 30 | 1st | |||
| XXVII (1973, Havana) | 96 | 1st | |||
| XXVIII (1974, Manila) | 74 | 1st | |||
| XXIX (1975, Moscow) | 90 | 1st | |||
| XXX (1976, Montreal) | 93 | 1st | |||
| XXXI (1977, Stuttgart) | 328 | 1st | 103 | 114 | 111 |
| XXXII (1978, Gettysburg) | 281 | 1st | 95 | 90 | 96 |
| XXXIII (1979, Thessaloniki) | 286 | 1st | 93 | 95 | 98 |
| XXXIV (1980, Moscow) | 250 | 1st | 74 | 89 | 87 |
| XXXV (1981, Lille) | 310 | 1st | 103 | 104 | 103 |
| XXXVI (1982, Ljubljana) | 293 | 1st | 93 | 99 | 101 |
Split from stacked cells. Per-event points belong to 1977–82 (each sums to the total). Places as printed; the text gives 2nd also for 1972 and 1974.
Table 2. Medals contested at world championships
| World championship | Medals for the total | Medals for individual lifts | Total | ||||
| G | S | B | G | S | B | ||
| I (1922, Tallinn) | 5 | 5 | 5 | — | — | — | 15 |
| II (1923, Vienna) | 5 | 5 | 5 | — | — | — | 15 |
| III (1937, Paris) | 5 | 5 | 5 | — | — | — | 15 |
| IV (1938, Vienna) | 5 | 5 | 5 | — | — | — | 15 |
| V (1946, Paris) | 5 | 5 | 5 | — | — | — | 15 |
| VI (1947, Philadelphia) | 6 | 6 | 6 | — | — | — | 18 |
| VII (1949, The Hague) | 6 | 6 | 6 | — | — | — | 18 |
| VIII (1950, Paris) | 6 | 6 | 6 | — | — | — | 18 |
| IX (1951, Milan) | 7 | 7 | 7 | — | — | — | 21 |
| X (1953, Stockholm) | 7 | 7 | 7 | — | — | — | 21 |
| XI (1954, Vienna) | 7 | 7 | 7 | — | — | — | 21 |
| XII (1955, Munich) | 7 | 7 | 7 | — | — | — | 21 |
| XIII (1957, Tehran) | 7 | 7 | 7 | — | — | — | 21 |
| XIV (1958, Stockholm) | 7 | 7 | 7 | — | — | — | 21 |
| XV (1959, Warsaw) | 7 | 7 | 7 | — | — | — | 21 |
| XVI (1961, Vienna) | 7 | 7 | 7 | — | — | — | 21 |
| XVII (1962, Budapest) | 7 | 7 | 7 | — | — | — | 21 |
| XVIII (1963, Stockholm) | 7 | 7 | 7 | — | — | — | 21 |
| XIX (1964, Tokyo) | 7 | 7 | 7 | — | — | — | 21 |
| XX (1965, Tehran) | 7 | 7 | 7 | — | — | — | 21 |
| XXI (1966, Berlin) | 7 | 7 | 7 | — | — | — | 21 |
| XXII (1968, Mexico City) | 7 | 7 | 7 | — | — | — | 21 |
| XXIII (1969, Warsaw) | 9 | 9 | 9 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 108 |
| XXIV (1970, Columbus) | 9 | 9 | 9 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 108 |
| XXV (1971, Lima) | 9 | 9 | 9 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 108 |
| XXVI (1972, Munich) | 9 | 9 | 9 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 108 |
| XXVII (1973, Havana) | 9 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 81 |
| XXVIII (1974, Manila) | 9 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 81 |
| XXIX (1975, Moscow) | 9 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 81 |
| XXX (1976, Montreal) | 9 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 81 |
| XXXI (1977, Stuttgart) | 10 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 90 |
| XXXII (1978, Gettysburg) | 10 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 90 |
| XXXIII (1979, Thessaloniki) | 10 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 90 |
| XXXIV (1980, Moscow) | 10 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 90 |
| XXXV (1981, Lille) | 10 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 90 |
| XXXVI (1982, Ljubljana) | 10 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 90 |
| Total | 273 | 273 | 273 | 300 | 300 | 300 | 1719 |
The Soviet record
- 1946 (V, Paris) debut: Grigory Novak first Soviet world champion; silver Vladimir Svetilko, Yakov Kutsenko; bronze Moisei Kasyanik, Georgy Popov.
- Team: 24 titles; 2nd in 1946, 1965, 1972, 1974; 3rd in 1950. Causes: 1946/1950 inexperience; 1965 flyweight favourite Aleksei Vakhonin failed the press (107.5); 1972 Munich, zeros for Boris Pavlov, Valery Shary (press), Vladimir Kanygin, David Rigert (snatch, after winning the press); 1974 Manila, Vladimir Ryzhenkov won the snatch (160), injured his elbow at 164 — 12 points lost, 74 vs Bulgaria's 78.
- Medals (29 championships, all but 1947 and 1949): 85 lifters, 448 (248 G, 134 S, 66 B). Total: 211 (122/64/25) — 58 gold winners 122 G, 35 S, 14 B; 19 silver winners 29 S, 3 B; 8 bronze winners. Single lifts: 237 (126/70/41).
Table 3. Medals won by Soviet weightlifters
| Athlete | Medals in the total | Medals in individual lifts | All medals | Grand total | ||||||
| G | S | B | G | S | B | G | S | B | ||
| Gold medallists in the total (and their medals in individual lifts) | ||||||||||
| Alekseev, Vasily | 8 | — | — | 14 | 5 | 0 | 22 | 5 | — | 27 |
| Rigert, David | 6 | — | 1 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 17 | 3 | 2 | 2† |
| Vorobyov, Arkady | 5 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 5 | 2 | 1 | 8 |
| Vardanyan, Yuri | 5 | 1 | — | 10 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 2 | 3† | 18† |
| Kurentsov, Viktor | 5 | 1 | — | 4 | — | — | 9 | 1 | — | 1† |
| Stogov, Vladimir | 5 | — | 1 | — | — | — | 5 | — | 1 | 6 |
| Vlasov, Yuri | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 1* | — | 5 |
| Zhabotinsky, Leonid | 4 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 4 | — | 2 | 6 |
| Osmonaliev, Kanybek | 4 | — | — | 6 | 0 | 0 | 10 | — | — | 10 |
| Kolesnikov, Nikolai | 3 | 2 | — | 6 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 14 |
| Plukfelder, Rudolf | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | 4 |
| Talts, Jaan | 3 | 1 | — | 4 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 13 |
| Kurynov, Aleksandr | 3 | — | 1 | — | — | — | 3 | — | 1 | 4 |
| Korol, Pyotr | 3 | — | — | 5 | 1 | — | 8 | 1 | — | 9 |
| Bushuev, Viktor | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | 3 |
| Vakhonin, Aleksei | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | 3 |
| Voroniv [Voronin], Aleksandr | 2 | 3 | — | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 15 |
| Chimishkyan, Rafael | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | 4 |
| Lomakin, Trofim | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | 4 |
| Minaev, Yevgeny | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | 4 |
| Zaitsev, Yuri | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 11 |
| Arakelov, Sergei | 2 | 1 | — | 5 | 1 | — | 7 | 2 | — | 9 |
| Rakhmanov, Sultanbai | 2 | 1 | — | 5 | — | 1 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 9 |
| Bessonov, Gennady | 2 | 1 | — | 3 | 2 | — | 5 | 3 | — | 8 |
| Kirzhinov, Mukharby | 2 | — | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 12 |
| Shary, Valery | 2 | — | — | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 8 |
| Sots, Viktor | 2 | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | 5 | 1 | — | 6 |
| Pisarenko, Anatoly | 2 | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | 5 | 1 | — | 6 |
| Medvedev, Aleksei | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | 2 |
| Kolotov, Vasily | 1 | 2 | — | 5 | 2 | — | 6 | 4 | — | 10 |
| Poltoratsky, Sergei | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 9 |
| Udodov, Ivan | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | 3 |
| Kaplunov, Vladimir | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Shanidze, Dito | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 10 |
| Sarkisyan, Yurik | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
| Ivanov, Dmitry | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 |
| Katsura, Yevgeny | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 |
| Golovanov, Vladimir | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 |
| Belyaev, Vladimir | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 |
| Chetin, Gennady | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| Selitsky, Boris | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 3 | 4 |
| Taranenko, Leonid | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| Kanygin, Vladimir | 1 | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | 2 | 2 | — | 4 |
| Pavlov, Boris | 1 | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | 2 | 2 | — | 4 |
| Ryzhenkov, Vladimir | 1 | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | 2 | 2 | — | 4 |
| Krishishin, Vladislav | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Pervushin, Pavel | 1 | — | — | 2 | — | — | 3 | — | — | 3 |
| Kozlov, Anatoly | 1 | — | — | 2 | — | — | 3 | — | — | 3 |
| Mazin, Viktor | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | — | 3 |
| Kravchuk, Valery | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | — | 3 |
| Ustyuzhin, Valery | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | 3 |
| Syrchin, Pavel | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 |
| Novak, Grigory | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 |
| Saksonov, Nikolai | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 |
| Farkhutdinov, Bakir | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 |
| Kostylev, Nikolai | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 |
| Ivanchenko, Gennady | 1 | — | — | 3 | — | — | 4 | — | — | 4 |
| Kozin, Yuri | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | 3 |
| Silver medallists in the total (and their medals in individual lifts) | ||||||||||
| Bogdanovsky, Fyodor | — | 5 | — | — | 5 | — | 5 | |||
| Pervy, Aleksandr | — | 3 | — | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 9 |
| Melitosyan, Vardan | — | 2 | — | — | 1 | 3 | — | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| Zakharevich, Yuri | — | 2 | — | 1 | 3 | — | 1 | 5 | — | 6 |
| Klokov, Vyacheslav | — | 2 | — | 1 | 3 | — | 1 | 5 | — | 6 |
| Kutsenko, Yakov | — | 2 | — | — | 2 | — | 2 | |||
| Svetilko, Vladimir | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||
| Smetanin, Vladimir | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| Kidyaev, Aleksandr | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Lopatin, Yevgeny | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | |||
| Stepanov, Vasily | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | |||
| Faradzhyan, Akop | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | |||
| Lopatin, Sergei | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | |||
| Mozheikov, Vasily | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | — | — | 3 | — | 3 |
| Enaldiev, Aslanbek | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Nikitin, Igor | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Mirzoyan, Oksen | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | — | 2 |
| Veretennikov, Viktor | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 |
| Pevzner, Sergei | — | 1 | — | 1* | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 |
| Bronze medallists in the total (and their medals in individual lifts) | ||||||||||
| Kasyanik, Moisei | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| Popov, Georgy | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | |||
| Pushkarev, Vladimir | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | |||
| Duganov, Yuri | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | |||
| Brovko, Eduard | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | |||
| Batishchev, Stanislav | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | |||
| Zakharov, Nikolai | — | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | — | — | 3 | 3 |
| Mikhalev, Vladimir | — | — | 1* | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Notes: two-page original merged. Blank cells: careers before 1969. * printed “I”, read as 1. † printed, inconsistent: Rigert total 2 (=22), Kurentsov 1 (=10), Vardanyan bronze 3 (=1); corrected, columns match the article (248/134/66, 448). Voroniv, Pervy, Krishishin as printed.