Uc_Hilal

Sport:
weightlifting

Country Represented:
Soviet Union

Years Competed:
1972, 1976, 1980

Medals Received:
gold

Olympic Info:
Rigert competed as a weightlifter in three Olympiads for the Soviet Union. He entered the 1972 Munich Olympics as the favorite in the middle-heavyweight division. The world record-holder (562.5 kg), Rigert set an Olympic record in the press (187.5 kg), but failed in all three of his attempts to snatch 160 kg (despite holding the world record at 167 kg). This caused David to be eliminated from the competition and his dream of an Olympic gold medal was temporarily dashed; Rigert was so upset at his failure that he literally pulled his hair out and banged his head against a wall. He was restrained by his teammates, but when he threw another fit the following day, he was sent home by the Soviet delegation.

Four years later, Rigert returned to the Olympics (in Montreal) and was again considered the favorite in the middle-heavyweight division. This time, he delivered, winning the gold medal with a combined total of 382.5 pounds. At the 1980 Moscow Games, his third, and final, Olympic competition, Rigert attempted to snatch 170 kg, failed on all three attempts and was eliminated once again. Had he started on a lower weight in the snatch, he might have medaled again.

Career Highlights:
From 1971-1980, Rigert was one of the most dominant weightlifters in the world, winning a major international competition every year except 1977. He first gave notice to his competitors in 1970 when he placed third at the World Championships in the lightweight division, but it was the following year that Rigert began to dominate. In 1971 he won the gold medal in the middle-heavyweight division at both the World and European Championships.

With incredible strength and perfect technique, Rigert repeated as world middle-heavyweight champion from 1973-1976, and captured the world heavyweight title in 1978. He also continued to win at the European Championships, capturing the gold medal in the middle-heavyweight six times in seven years (1972-76, 1978), and then moved up to the heavyweight division to win the championships in 1979 and 1980.

After retiring from competitive weightligting, he turned to coaching and was later the Russian National Team coach; he recently retired from coaching due to health problems.

Birth and Death Dates:
b. March 12, 1947

Origin:
Russia

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