Light-Heavyweight (≤83 kilograms), Men

Pyrros Dimas was the 1992 gold medalist and had won the 1993 and 1995 World Championships. He failed to win the 1994 Worlds when he missed all three of his clean & jerk attempts, as that title was won by German Marc Huster. The two tied at the 1995 Worlds, but Dimas won on lower bodyweight, so this was expected to be a close contest between the two. However, when Dimas snatched a world record 180.0 kg, he made it very difficult for Huster, who was 10 kg behind. Both lifted world records of 212.5 kg, as Dimas defended his gold medal with a total of 392.5 kg. At Sydney, the two would renew their rivalry with the same result, but in 2000 they would tie on total weight, Dimas winning his third gold medal because of lower bodyweight. Dimas would also win a bronze medal in this class at the 2004 Olympics.