| Date | 25 July 1952 — 20:00 | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Olympic | |
| Location | Messuhalli II, Helsinki | |
| Participants | 22 from 21 countries | |
| Format | Total of best lifts in military press, snatch, and clean & jerk determined placement. Ties broken by lightest bodyweight. | |
Rafael Chimishk’iani had won a silver medal as a bantamweight at the 1950 World Championships, and was 1950 European Champion, but he did not compete at the 1951 Worlds, as the Soviets skipped the meet. That event was won by Egyptian Khalifa Said Gouda, who followed his countryman, Mahmoud Fayad, the 1948 Olympic and 1950 World Champion. Fayad did not compete in Helsinki, but also returning was Trinidadian Rodney Wilkes, the 1948 silver medalist. In the end nobody could match the Soviets, as Chimishk’iani won gold with a world record total of 337.5 kg, followed by teammate Nikolay Saksonov, who equalled Fayad’s former world record of 332.5 kg. Wilkes came in third, garnering his second Olympic medal. This was Chimishk’iani’s only Olympic appearance, but he would only end his career in the early 1960s after winning two World Championships (1954-55), six European Championships (1950, 1952, 1954-57), and five Soviet titles.
| Pos | Competitor | NOC | Kilograms | Bodyweight | Military Press | Snatch | Clean & Jerk | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rapael Chimishk'iani |  URS | 337.5 | 59.65 | 97.5 (3) | 105.0 (=1) | 135.0 (1) | Gold | ||
| 2 | Nikolay Saksonov | URS | 332.5 | 59.95 | 95.0 (=4) | 105.0 (=1) | 132.5 (2) | Silver | ||
| 3 | Rodney Wilkes |  TTO | 322.5 | 59.30 | 100.0 (2) | 100.0 (4) | 122.5 (=6) | Bronze | ||
| 4 | Rodrigo del Rosario |  PHI | 317.5 | 59.20 | 105.0 (1) | 92.5 (=11) | 120.0 (=8) | |||
| 5 | Khalifa Said Gouda |  EGY | 312.5 | 59.20 | 85.0 (=16) | 102.5 (3) | 125.0 (=4) | |||
| 6 | Chay Weng Yew |  SGP | 312.5 | 59.80 | 87.5 (=12) | 97.5 (=5) | 127.5 (3) | |||
| 7 | Bálint B. Nagy |  HUN | 307.5 | 59.60 | 85.0 (=16) | 97.5 (=5) | 125.0 (=4) | |||
| 8 | Mohssain Tabatabaie |  IRI | 307.5 | 59.85 | 90.0 (=7) | 97.5 (=5) | 120.0 (=8) | |||
| 9 | Julian Creus |  GBR | 305.0 | 59.65 | 87.5 (=12) | 95.0 (=8) | 122.5 (=6) | |||
| 10 | Jules Sylvain |  CAN | 302.5 | 59.85 | 92.5 (6) | 92.5 (=11) | 117.5 (=13) | |||
| 11 | Nam Su-Il |  KOR | 300.0 | 59.95 | 90.0 (=7) | 90.0 (=14) | 120.0 (=8) | |||
| 12 | Daniel Pon Mony |  IND | 300.0 | 60.00 | 95.0 (=4) | 90.0 (=14) | 115.0 (=15) | |||
| 13 | Max Heral |  FRA | 297.5 | 59.35 | 82.5 (19) | 95.0 (=8) | 120.0 (=8) | |||
| 14 | Tun Maung |  MYA | 295.0 | 59.05 | 90.0 (=7) | 87.5 (=17) | 117.5 (=13) | |||
| 15 | Mikko Hokka |  FIN | 295.0 | 60.00 | 85.0 (=16) | 95.0 (=8) | 115.0 (=15) | |||
| 16 | Oswald Junkes |  GER | 290.0 | 59.85 | 80.0 (=20) | 90.0 (=14) | 120.0 (=8) | |||
| 17 | Einar Eriksson |  SWE | 290.0 | 59.95 | 87.5 (=12) | 92.5 (=11) | 110.0 (=18) | |||
| 18 | James van Rensburg |  RSA | 285.0 | 59.65 | 87.5 (=12) | 87.5 (=17) | 110.0 (=18) | |||
| 19 | Giovanni Cocco |  ITA | 282.5 | 59.75 | 90.0 (=7) | 82.5 (21) | 110.0 (=18) | |||
| 20 | Henri Colans |  BEL | 280.0 | 59.60 | 80.0 (=20) | 85.0 (=19) | 115.0 (=15) | |||
| 21 | Henryk Skowronek |  POL | 272.5 | 59.75 | 77.5 (22) | 85.0 (=19) | 110.0 (=18) | |||
| Carlos Chávez |  PAN | 90.0 | 58.20 | 90.0 (=7) | – ( | – |
