IWF120y/78 – 1984: Norberto Oberburger, the last Italian Olympic champion

Lifters from Italy were quite successful at the Olympic level in the 1920s, when four of them earned gold at the Games – Filippo Bottino, in 1920, Pierino Gabetti, Carlo Galimberti, and Giuseppe Tonani, all in 1924. The Italian weightlifting community had to wait 60 long years until a new Olympic success was achieved. Born in 1960, Norberto Oberburger (photo) was still 19 years old when he competed in his first (out of four) Olympic Games, in Moscow. He finished 10th, but would largely improve this performance four years later, in Los Angeles, climbing to the highest march of the podium – triumph in the 110kg category in 175-215-390. In Seoul 1988, he lifts his best at this level (187.5-227.5-415), but this outcome is only sufficient for sixth place. In Barcelona 1992, he participates in his last Olympics, again ranking 10th. In 1985, he was third at the World Championships, while at continental level, he was runner-up in 1984 and bronze medallist in 1986. Oberburger remains one of the two Italian world champions (considering Total results) in weightlifting (as the 1984 Games were doubled up as such), and was followed in 2023 by Oscar Reyes (originally from Cuba), at the Riyadh IWF showcase, with a performance of 163-193-356 in the men’s 81kg. At the Olympics, Italian lifters have won 18 medals (5+5+8), including only one podium presence among women – Giorgia Bordignon was silver medallist in the 64kg category at the 2020ne Tokyo Games.