Last updated on April 4th, 2024

Prior to the commencement of the 2024 IWF World Cup in Phuket, Thailand, rumors swirled about the gravity of the event. Lead event commentator Seb Ostrowicz called this year’s Cup “the biggest weightlifting meet of the last few years,” citing it as the final qualification opportunity for any Paris hopeful.

On Apr. 4, 2024, Ostrowicz’s prophecy came to pass. In a historic upset, Indonesian weightlifter and Junior world record holder Rizki Juniansyah set a new world record in the Total of 365 kilograms — dislodging teammate and 18-month leader Rahmat Erwin Abdullah at the last second.

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It’s impossible to overstate the enormity of Juniansyah’s achievement in Phuket. Having only returned to the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) stage in late 2023 after undergoing appendix surgery, Juniansyah was considered a long shot pick for the gold medal in Phuket.

But when the dust had settled, he had beaten both teammate (and clean & jerk world record holder) Abdullah as well as two-time Olympic Champion Shi Zhiyong.

Rizki Juniansyah | 2024 IWF World Cup

How It Happened

Since the IWF unveiled the Paris-recognized bodyweight divisions for the 2024 Olympics, the Men’s 73-kilogram middleweight category has been a hotbed of world-class performers.

For the better part of the 18-month Paris qualification period, no athlete could contend Abdullah, who repeatedly widened his lead over every other athlete in the class, setting multiple world records in the 73 and 81-kilogram divisions.

Teammate Juniansyah underwent surgery towards the end of 2023. Prior to this year’s Cup, his best Total was 353KG — 10 full kilograms behind Abdullah.

But when push came to shove in Phuket, Juniansyah pulled it off against both his countryman and one of China’s most dominant weightlifters ever:

2024 IWF World Cup | Men’s 73-Kilogram

• Rizki Juniansyah (INA): 365 (164/201)
• Shi Zhiyong (CHN): 356 (165/191)
• Rahmat Erwin Abdullah (INA): 355 (160/195)

Editor’s Note: The notation above reads as “[Total] [(Snatch/Clean & Jerk)]”

Speculation was rife in Phuket about the efforts of Zhiyong, who took a long hiatus from the sport after his win in the same category at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. After placing first in the snatch, it looked like Zhiyong was back in top form.

But come the clean & jerks, the now-former world record holder in the Total couldn’t muster the strength he needed to claim the number-one slot in the 73-kilogram category. However, Zhiyong now sits in third place. Pending the outcome of the heavier divisions in Phuket, Zhiyong may receive an invitation to Paris.

Context: Each country may only send one athlete per weight class to the Paris Olympics, and only six athletes in total (three men and three women). Dominant countries like China must evaluate which of their team members performs best in their respective weight divisions.

Zhiyong, now third in the 73-kilogram class, will await to see what occurs in the 89 and 102-kilogram divisions at the Cup.

As the competition concluded, Abdullah was forced to attempt 206 kilograms — a new world record — in order to reclaim the top slot from Juniansyah. He failed it on his second attempt, sat down on the platform for less than a minute, and tried again with 90 seconds of allotted rest time to spare. He was unsuccessful.

Abdullah spent almost two years in the driver’s seat. When he and Juniansyah last met at the 2024 Asian Championships, Abdullah came out 10 kilograms ahead. At the final stop before the Paris Olympics, Juniansyah returned the favor, in one of the most stunning upsets in modern weightlifting history.

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Featured Image: Jessie Johnson / @barbellstories