Middleweight (≤75 kilograms), Men

Cuban Tony Urrutia had won the World Championships in 1977-79 and should have been the favorite, but at a meet in Mexico City in early 1980, Urrutia used his bedsheets to climb out his bedroom window, escape from the Cuban team, and defected to the United States. He had been sixth in the Olympics as a lightweight in 1976, and would compete again in the Olympics, but in 1988-92 for the United States.

In his absence, the gold medal went to the Bulgarian world record holder Asen Zlatev, who bettered his own world record with 360.0 kg. Silver went to Soviet Ukrainian Oleksander Perviy, while bronze was won by Zlatev’s teamate Nedelcho Kolev.