The historic battle for Atlanta Weightlifting gold | Olympic History

In the late afternoon of Monday july 22nd more than 5,000 spectators filled the weightlifting hall at the Georgia World Congress center to Witness a classic confrontation between two of the strongest men in the world the meeting between nine fully monitor of turkey and Bellarius lay leaders of Greece in the 64 kilogram Featherweight division The Hall is evenly divided with Partisan spectators hundreds of turks on one side Equally as many greeks on the other side In weightlifting the competition is divided into two disciplines the snatch in which the bar is lifted overhead in one motion and The Clean-And-Jerk where the bar is lifted to [the] chest then overhead Each litter has three attempts in each discipline increasing the weight with each successful lift The highest total score of both disciplines is the winner of the gold Medal? If there is a tie the winner is the man with the lowest body weight the Turkish spectators anticipate a history-making performance by name [Solemn] [olive], [ooh] Since 1983 he is undefeated in world and Olympic competition Suleymanoglu is the winner [of] gold medals at both the 1988 seoul and 1992, Barcelona Olympics if he wins here it would become the only lifter in history to win three successive, Olympic gold medals Blocking his path is Valerius lair needless of [Greece] who finished fifth behind Suleiman [alou] four years ago in Barcelona but at the 1995 world Championships there needeth tied Suleiman alou in total poundage only to lose because he weighed slightly more now here in Atlanta Leonie this has the advantage if there is a tie he weighed in at 139 pounds more than a pound less than Suleymanoglu There is additional drama this night the political aspects of the contest There is a history of strife between turkey and greece Leading to the latest crisis six months earlier when turkey laid claim to an uninhabited Island in the Aegean sea An Island that athens claimed belonged to greece? In my relationship with name it is not [a] contest of countries it is a contest of pride and Sportsmanship I Believe the people of greece honestly loved name. He's a man of phenomenal talent For me just to be at the point in which I'm able to compete against him with a chance to win is an achievement This is what the competition is about pride and Sportsmanship For many years in my career, especially the last eight years [I] didn't have Rivals or real competition Not until only this came along did I have any difficult contests? Once we tied in a competition, but I was victorious because I weighed less [than] him After the event we would sit down and talk He is very down-To-earth and has the true qualities of a magnificent Sportsman so romano lose rise to legendary fame is a combination of superhuman strength and political intrigue of Cloak-And-Dagger scenario that has no equal in Olympic history He was born in a bulgarian Mountain Village inhabited mostly by ethnic turks And at the age of 15 [said] his first world record competing for bulgaria The following year he received worldwide acclaim when weighing 120 three and a half pounds He lifted more than three times his body weight So [lemond] oulu was expected to win a gold medal at the 1984 Los [Angeles] games, but the soviet, Led Boycott prevented him from competing He continued training as a member of the national team, but soon [bulgaria] changed its Policy toward ethnic turks His people oppressed and persecuted were forced to change their turkish names to [Bulgarian] In 1986 while competing in Australia he escaped from the bulgarian team and applied for Turkish citizenship This serious diplomatic problem was finally resolved when turkey paid bulgaria 1 million dollars for his release Now he would compete as a turkish citizen after winning his first gold medal at the 1988 seoul games, so the mono [liu] returned to Ankara A National Holiday was declared and thousands lined the Parade route in what was called the largest celebration in Turkish history Four years later in Barcelona. He again stood on the top step of the award [Fody] ['m] Now here in [Atlanta] he faces the greatest challenge of his career For the first time Suleymanoglu is not separate and apart from the other lifters Though he still holds the world record for total weight he has lost the individual world records he used to hold Wah wah wah China holds the snatch world record and belarus Leonides is the world record holder in the clean-And-Jerk 36 Men are entered in the competition Noli But the majority would have completed their three lifts in the snatch Before Suleymanoglu [Lera] Nevis and warm step onto the platform for the first time by Nolan I loads of our from 140 Years first attempt Finally they only this makes his first lift when the weight reaches 140 kilos 308 pounds Well [Touchy] Leonie this is greeted by his coach. This [is] Chicago now the psychological games begin So they're mono who asks for two and a half kilos more than Lay Anita's then he and his coaches decide to Raise the weight to 145 Kilos the equivalent of 11 pounds more than his greek adversary but After one list so the Mana will leaves [leone] this by Five Kilos His brother who quran who trains him watches from the side of the stage? wong the world record Holder in the snatch Tries 145 Kilos He fails Leonides now attempts the same weight 145 Kilos He and Sulaymanoglu are now tied, but Naim has two attempts remaining and Leonides one. Wrong misses his second and third attempts and is out of the competition Leonides and Suleymanoglu are the only ones left in the snatch On his second attempt Suleymanoglu raises the stakes another two and a half kilos to one hundred forty seven and a half Five and a half pounds more than his last attempt Sa mo K9 freedom honor. They remain tied Each has one lift where maybe the tick was he missing they're hilarious Leonides Greece [Lair] Anita's his last attempt will be 147 and a half kilos if he is successful he will take the lead Noli third attempt, which was MSA ie suleiman - Suleiman [I'd] [losses] You will be in the lead Your knight is first place [whiter] body now Suleiman Oh lose third and final attempt at the 147 and a half kilos Guess he did it With the snatch completed in the event hangover so tomorrow you will take his two and a half kilo lead into the clean-And-jerk competition place Then lee this is in a three-way tie for second place with his teammate yer [ghost] [leds] and xiao Jiang Dong of China The weightlifting world knows that the battle for the gold Medal will be between two dying suleiman [oh], [Lu] of turkey and Valerius Leia Neither, so Greece ah Suleiman oh, Lu and Leonie this wait backstage for the start of their confrontation in the clean-And-jerk Another battle is taking place one of strategy What will be their starting weight? What will their opponent choose if they start too high they risk an early miss starting too low could result in a wasted attempt? With only two and a half kilos separating them [in] just three attempts remaining one mistake can cost either other than the gold Medal The final confrontation is just a few minutes away on Stage Xiao, Jing gong of China lifts [177] and a [half] kilos good enough for the Bronze Medal Backstage rarely this is Coach [Christos]. Yoko who is nervous but confident? We knew how [difficult] it would be to defeat him he secures from time to time I would tell him you can do it you can beat name I am not different with him than any of my athletes that is my job to encourage them and I really impressed on him his technique always be careful of your technique and beat 9 the next [look] ok [see] [now] you worry about it. Finally the decision is made so romano, Lu will start the clean and jerk at 180 Kilos Three hundred ninety six and three-quarter pounds only three kilos below Leonie this is world record Clearly this declares the same weight Cycling and you slap me. Yes, Disco, proton ahi technique Jana She'll [octopod] [IPara] Romano who still leads by two and a half Kilos Now the most critical part of the competition each has two attempts left Sulemani Lou decides he wants to break open the competition and place the pressure on Lay Anita's He asks for 185 kilos two kilos greater than lay analysis World record [stop] Sulemani [LiU] placards the number one side With this one effort he has created two world records one in the clan injured and one for combined total weight he now leads, Leonidas by Seven and a half Kilos I Was not happy, but I did not show We decided [that] we [must] try a superhuman effort [I] Told him we must try one hundred eighty seven and a half kilos Two and a half kilos more than what name just accomplished and also a world record luckily out the morning We'll see you later. There are now [tied] [in] total poundage, but leonidas leads because of his lower body weight I Knew the competition does not end until [9] finishes if it was anyone else I would have been more secure but not with [mine]. I knew that in the past he has always found a way to Three world records have been created in little more than a minute now the final dip Willimon alou and [Leonidas] I must confess after [the] last lift of 185 Kilos I thought I had won the competition Then [leonid] is lifted what I thought he could not do but he did it [in] [weightlifting] you must do what it takes to win, and he did it Now on my last lift. I must do what is necessary to well Name will attempt one hundred eighty seven and a half kilos the weight that Leia neither slipped it If he succeeds he will again go into the lead by two and a half kilos Soon [Allahu] is in the lead one little moon another world record in a total weight the fourth World record His brother muharrem already has claimed victory But [nine] Sulaiman Abu is not certain once before in this competition he thought he had clinched the title I Originally thought [I] might watch his final lift but my people told me not to So I went backstage to await the [outcome] Even though you don't watch you know what's happening Earlier whenever leone this was successful. I could [hear] the screaming of the greeks in [the] audience Whether I watched or not, I would know who won Deep inside me. I believed I still had the [chance] to win. I would have to lift a hundred 90 kilos Seven Kilos higher than my world record before the competition began But I thought I had a chance That is why this was such a beautiful competition third attempt by the MSA filarial United Family this takes the long walk to the platform If he makes it he will again tie sulaymana loose for total weight, but the gold Medal will be his because he weighs less Backstage [Suleiman] [Aloo] realizes that for the first time he will not be in control of the outcome Gold-Medal the ladies ladies and gentlemen this concludes the gryphon competition A few minutes will have the picture show me the medalists in this event Named Suleiman alou becomes the first weightlifter to win three gold medals But for various [Leone's] there is also Glory For in a contest where world records were broken four times in less than five minutes in a contest that many consider the greatest in Olympic history There is as much honor in defeat as there is in Victory Not Wanna there will be many nights in the future when I will dream of this competition [I] Came to win the gold Medal [not] the silver But I'm a person who acknowledges and admire Superb performances, and that is what name did That is why she's so great You push yourself hard, and he pushes himself harder and that [is] why when we met before the awards [I] said? name you are the best and he said No Valerio's. We are both the best

Channel: Olympics

Views: 2,120,928

Keywords: Olympic games, olympics, IOC, Naim Süleymanoğlu (Olympic Athlete), Suleymanoglu, Valerios Leonidis, Leonidis, Turkey Greece, Turkey, Greece, History, Olympic History, Weightlifting, Olympic weightlifting, world record, lift, snatch, clean and jerk, weight, new record, bodyweight, 1996 Summer Olympics (Olympic Games), Atlanta, Atlanta Olympics, 1996 Olympics, 90s, Gold, champion, Coach, Trainer, Training, Mental Preparation, Friendship, Rivalry, Incredible story, Politics

Id: VfpuHTKgllk

Length: 23min 49sec (1429 seconds)

Published: Wed Sep 17 2014

Reddit Comments

[u/pistachioD]

damn, those are some short arms!

[u/spinachs]

This is why I keep coming back to reddit, videos like this. I never knew of this story, nor would I have. Thanks for sharing.