Rizki Juniansyah (born 17 June 2003) is an Indonesian weightlifter who currently specializes in the men’s 73 kg lightweight class and holds various world records at the youth, junior, and senior IWF competition levels. He is the current Olympic champion, having won gold at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, making him Indonesia’s youngest Olympic gold medalist in history and its first in weightlifting.[2][3]
Early Career
Juniansyah grew up in a family with a strong background in weightlifting and began training as early as nine years old. His father, M. Yasin (1966–2024), a successful national weightlifter, represented Indonesia in five consecutive SEA Games from 1983 to 1993 and clinched bronze medals at the 1985 and 1987 SEA Games.[4][5] His mother and two older siblings were also competitive weightlifters.[6] His brother-in-law, Triyatno, who later became his coach, is a bronze and silver medalist at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, respectively.[7]
He began his career at a young age, winning gold medals at the 2017 and 2018 PPLP National Championships. Additionally, he has earned gold medals at the 2018 Youth Regional Sports Week, the 2018 Provincial Sports Week, and the 2021National Sports Week, representing Banten.[8]
Youth and Junior World Records
By the age of 17, Juniansyah had achieved a remarkable feat by holding five youth and junior world records. In 2020, he set two youth world records with a 139 kg snatch (current) and 307 kg total lift at the 2020 Asian Youth & Junior Weightlifting Championships.[9] Later that year, the Youth World Weightlifting Championships were cancelled due to COVID-19 and replaced by an online event called the IWF Youth World Cup.[10] Juniansyah won gold medal with impressive final figures of 145-180-325,[11] surpassing all three youth world records at the time (including his own).[12] Although these figures remain above the current records and were achieved in an IWF-organized event, they are not officially recognized. In acknowledgment of his performance, the IWF awarded him the title of ‘The Best Lifter’ in the competition.[13]
In 2023, Juniansyah won the SEA Games gold medal, setting three current games records with final figures of 156-191-347 in the 73 kg event.[20] Three months later, in August 2023, he underwent an appendectomy and was required to take a 6-month break from training and competitions, which impacted his efforts to qualify for Paris 2024 Olympics.[21][22]
By the end of January 2024, he resumed training and prepared for the next upcoming competitions. He successfully secured qualification for Paris by winning the gold medal at the 2024 IWF World Cup, where he set the current world record with a total lift of 365 kg.[23]
At the Paris 2024 Olympics, Juniansyah won the gold medal in the men’s 73 kg event, setting a new Olympic record with a 199 kg clean and jerk lift on his second attempt in the final.[24][25] It was his Olympic debut and Juniansyah became the youngest Indonesian Olympic gold medalist at the age of 21.[26]
This victory marked the end of China’s five-consecutive-gold dominance in the lightweight category.[27] It was also Indonesia’s first Olympic gold medal in weightlifting in 72 years, since they began competing at the Helsinki 1952 Olympics, ending a streak of 7 silver and 8 bronze medals in the sport.[28]
Achievements and Records
WR = World Record, C = Current, O = Olympic, G = Games, J = Junior, Y = Youth, N = National, U = Unrecognized
*World records are not officially recognized in the online event. The Best Lifter title was awarded.[13]
^At the 2021 Islamic Solidarity Games, medals from the snatch, clean & jerk and total are calculated separately and are all included in the medal table.
References
^"JUNIANSYAH Rizki". Olympics.com. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
