Kanybek Osmonaliev Becomes an Olympic Champion in 1980
History in Color:
July 20, 1980, Moscow, Russia – Soviet flyweight Kanybek Osmonaliev of Frunze, Kirgizia wins a gold medal in the 52kg class at the 1980 Summer Olympics at the Izvaylovo Weightlifting Arena Moscow.
Kanybek Osmonaliev (b. 1953) was a phenomenal flyweight of Team CCCP. From mid 1970s to mid 1980s, he won the 1980 Olympics, 4 World championships, 2 European Championships and 2 USSR Championships. His official personal best total was 247.5kg (110+137.5) and it was reached when he won a World title at the 1981 World Championships on September 14, 1981 in Lille, France.
Besides the medals and results, he was an outstanding athlete – a hardworker in training, a clutch lifter in the competition and an exemplary character.
If you asked me at the time when I was an aspiring weightlifter, Kanybek Osmonaliev was on the very top of the list of my favorite Olympic weightlifters.
That’s for sure – Kanybek Osmonaliev was a pure inspiration and #1 for me.