Bantamweight (≤59 kilograms), Men

The three favorites were Greek Leonidas Sabanis and Bulgarian Nikolay Peshalov, who had won the last three World Championships, Sabanis in 1995 and Peshalov in 1993-94, and China’s Tang Ningsheng, the world record holder. All three tied with 137.5 kg in the snatch, but Tang won the gold medal with a world record equalling clean & jerk of 170.0 kg. Sabanis won the silver with his jerk of 167.5 kg, while Peshalov missed his first two lifts in the clean & jerk, and had to settle for 165.0 kg on his final attempt, and the bronze medal. Peshalov would win an Olympic gold medal, but as a featherweight and at Sydney in 2000, with Sabanis the silver medalist in that event.