Light-Heavyweight (≤82½ kilograms), Men

There was no heavier favorite in the 1980 weightlifting tournament than Soviet Yurik Vardanyan. Vardanyan held the world record, had not been defeated in three years, winning the 1977-79 World Championships, and also won lift gold medals in every lift at all three Worlds. His gold medal in Moskva was won in dominant fashion, as he set world records in both lifts, and his world record total of 400.0 kg would have won the gold medal as a middle-heavyweight (≤90 kg) or a heavyweight I (≤100 kg). Bulgarian Blagoi Blagoev won silver, fully 27.5 kg behind Vardanyan. In 1976 Blagoev had seemed to win the gold medal in this class, but was later disqualified for a doping positive.