# Weightlifting at the 1948 Summer Olympics – Men's 56 kg

The men's 56 kg weightlifting competitions at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London took place on 9 August at the Empress Hall of the Earls Court Exhibition Centre. It was the first appearance of the bantamweight class, which was split off the featherweight (60 kg) class that had previously been the lightest. This was the first change in weight classes since their introduction in the 1920 Summer Olympics.
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 | Joseph De Pietro (USA) | 106.5 kg | | 1948 |
| World record | Snatch | Julian Creus (GBR) | 91 kg | | 1948 |
| World record | Clean & Jerk | Mahmoud Namdjou (IRI) | 122.5 kg | | 1948 |
| World record | Total | Joseph De Pietro (USA) | 300 kg | Philadelphia, United States | 1947 |
| Olympic record | Press | New event | – | – | – |
| Olympic record | Snatch | New event | – | – | – |
| Olympic record | Clean & Jerk | New event | – | – | – |
| Olympic record | Total | New event | – | – | – |

## Results

| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Body weight | Press (kg) | Press (kg) | Press (kg) | Press (kg) | Snatch (kg) | Snatch (kg) | Snatch (kg) | Snatch (kg) | Clean & Jerk (kg) | Clean & Jerk (kg) | Clean & Jerk (kg) | Clean & Jerk (kg) | Total |
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Body weight | 1 | 2 | 3 | Result | 1 | 2 | 3 | Result | 1 | 2 | 3 | Result | Total |
| | Joseph De Pietro | United States | 55.90 | 100 | 105 | 107.5 | 105 OR | 85 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 105 | 110 | 112.5 | 112.5 | 307.5 WR |
| | Julian Creus | Great Britain | 55.85 | 77.5 | 82.5 | 85 | 82.5 | 90 | 95 | 97.5 | 95 OR | 115 | 120 | 122.5 | 120 | 297.5 |
| | Richard Tom | United States | 55.25 | 82.5 | 87.5 | 87.5 | 87.5 | 85 | 90 | 92.5 | 90 | 112.5 | 117.5 | 117.5 | 117.5 | 295 |
| 4 | Lee Gyu-hyeok | South Korea | 55.78 | 77.5 | 77.5 | 82.5 | 77.5 | 87.5 | 92.5 | 95 | 92.5 | 115 | 120 | 125 | 120 | 290 |
| 5 | Mahmoud Namdjou | Iran | 55.75 | 82.5 | 82.5 | 85 | 82.5 | 82.5 | 87.5 | 87.5 | 82.5 | 112.5 | 117.5 | 122.5 | 122.5 OR | 287.5 |
| 6 | Marcel Thévenet | France | 55.92 | 85 | 90 | 92.5 | 90 | 75 | 80 | 82.5 | 80 | 100 | 105 | 110 | 110 | 280 |
| 7 | Rosaire Smith | Canada | 55.87 | 77.5 | 82.5 | 85 | 82.5 | 80 | 85 | 87.5 | 85 | 110 | 115 | 115 | 110 | 277.5 |
| 8 | Maurice Crow | New Zealand | 55.10 | 77.5 | 82.5 | 82.5 | 77.5 | 77.5 | 82.5 | 85 | 85 | 102.5 | 107.5 | 110 | 110 | 272.5 |
| 9 | Keith Caple | Australia | 55.16 | 77.5 | 77.5 | 77.5 | 77.5 | 77.5 | 82.5 | 85 | 85 | 100 | 110 | 112.5 | 110 | 272.5 |
| 10 | Pak Dong-uk | South Korea | 55.80 | 80 | 80 | 85 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 85 | 85 | 107.5 | 107.5 | 112.5 | 107.5 | 272.5 |
| 11 | Abdel Hamid Yacout | Egypt | 55.95 | 75 | 80 | 80 | 75 | 80 | 85 | 87.5 | 85 | 105 | 110 | 112.5 | 112.5 | 272.5 |
| 12 | Ernő Porubszky | Hungary | 56.00 | 67.5 | 72.5 | 75 | 72.5 | 80 | 85 | 87.5 | 87.5 | 102.5 | 107.5 | 110 | 110 | 270 |
| 13 | Abe Greenhalgh | Great Britain | 55.90 | 85 | 90 | 92.5 | 92.5 | 75 | 75 | 77.5 | 75 | 95 | 100 | 105 | 100 | 267.5 |
| 14 | Einar Sundström | Finland | 56.00 | 70 | 75 | 77.5 | 77.5 | 80 | 85 | 87.5 | 85 | 105 | 110 | 110 | 105 | 267.5 |
| 15 | Maung Win Maung | Burma | 55.91 | 77.5 | 82.5 | – | 82.5 | 77.5 | 82.5 | 85 | 82.5 | 100 | 105 | 105 | 100 | 265 |
| 16 | Eugène Wattier | France | 55.97 | 75 | 80 | 82.5 | 80 | 75 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 100 | 105 | 105 | 100 | 260 |
| 17 | Josef Vojtech | Austria | 55.64 | 75 | 80 | 82.5 | 80 | 75 | 75 | 80 | 75 | 100 | 105 | 105 | 100 | 255 |
| 18 | Pentti Kotvio | Finland | 55.85 | 65 | 70 | 70 | 65 | 75 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 95 | 102.5 | 105 | 102.5 | 247.5 |
| 19 | Marcelino Salas | Mexico | 55.38 | 60 | 65 | 65 | 60 | 70 | 75 | 75 | 70 | 95 | 100 | 102.5 | 100 | 230 |

## New records

| Press | 105 kg | Joseph De Pietro (USA) | OR |
| Snatch | 95 kg | Julian Creus (GBR) | OR |
| Clean & Jerk | 122.5 kg | Mahmoud Namdjou (IRI) | OR |
| Total | 307.5 kg | Joseph De Pietro (USA) | OR, WR |