The men's 90 kg weightlifting competitions at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki took place on 27 July at Messuhalli.Official Report, p. 392. It was the first appearance of the middle heavyweight class (or, as it was listed in the 1952 Official Report, the "heavy lightweight" class). Previously all weightlifters above the light heavyweight (82.5 kg) class competed together in the heavyweight class; this new middle heavyweight class featured weightlifters between 82.5 kg and 90 kg.

Each weightlifter had three attempts at each of the three lifts. The best score for each lift was summed to give a total. The weightlifter could increase the weight between attempts (minimum of 5 kg between first and second attempts, 2.5 kg between second and third attempts) but could not decrease weight. If two or more weightlifters finished with the same total, the competitors' body weights were used as the tie-breaker (lighter athlete wins).

Records Prior to this competition, the existing world and Olympic records were as follows.

World record Press 143 kg 1952 Snatch 133.5 kg Milan, Italy 28 October 1951 Clean & Jerk 175 kg Milan, Italy 28 October 1951 Total 427.5 kg Milan, Italy 28 October 1951Olympic record Press New event – – – Snatch New event – – – Clean & Jerk New event – – – Total New event – – –

Results Rank Athlete Nation Bodyweight Press (kg) Snatch (kg) Clean & Jerk (kg) Total123Result123Result123Result 90.00 122.5 127.5 130 127.5 130 135 140142.5 140 165 172.5 177.5182.5 177.5 445 87.95 140 145 145 140 125 125 125 125 145 150 — 145 410 89.40 120 125 130 125 112.5 120 122.5 120 147.5 155 157.5 157.5 402.5 4 89.25 110 115 115 110 117.5 122.5 125 125 150 160 162.5 162.5 397.5 5 87.95 112.5 117.5 117.5 112.5 120 120 125 120 150 155 160 155 387.5 6 88.75 107.5 112.5 112.5 107.5 115 120 125 125 152.5 170 170 152.5 385 7 87.35 102.5 107.5 107.5 107.5 112.5 117.5 117.5 112.5 145 150 152.5 150 370 8 89.30 112.5 117.5 117.5 112.5 105 110 115 110 140 145 150 145 367.5 9 89.75 95 100 105 100 110 115 117.5 117.5 140 145 150 150 367.5 10 87.45 102.5 107.5 110 107.5 110 115 115 110 132.5 142.5 147.5 147.5 365 11 89.70 107.5 112.5 115 112.5 102.5 107.5 107.5 107.5 137.5 142.5 147.5 142.5 362.5 12 89.05 107.5 112.5 112.5 107.5 102.5 110 110 110 140 145 145 140 357.5 13 89.80 100 105 105 100 112.5 120 120 112.5 135 142.5 145 142.5 355 14 89.95 92.5 97.5 102.5 97.5 107.5 112.5 112.5 112.5 140 145 150 145 355 15 89.55 95 100 102.5 102.5 100 107.5 107.5 100 135 142.5 147.5 142.5 345 16 89.95 90 95 97.5 95 97.5 102.5 102.5 102.5 127.5 132.5 135 132.5 330 17 89.55 117.5 117.5 117.5 117.5 110 115 115 110 142.5 142.5 142.5 — 227.5 18 89.10 105 105 110 110 110 115 115 110 — — — — 220 19 Kamineni Eswara Rao 89.40 107.5 112.5 112.5 107.5 97.5 97.5 105 105 130 130 130 — 212.5 20 90.00 110 115 115 110 — — — — — — — — 110

New records

Because the weight class was new to the Olympics, there was certain to be an initial Olympic record in each lift as well as the total. Schemansky, however, broke his own world records from the 1951 World Weightlifting Championships in two of the lifts as well as the combined score. Novak, who had set the world record in the press earlier in the year at 143 kg, was not able to match that score but still led handily in that lift at 140 kg (12.5 kg over Schemansky's second-place 127.5 kg).

Press140 kg Snatch140 kg Clean & Jerk177.5 kg Total445 kg

Notes

References