# 1972 European Weightlifting Championships

The 1972 European Weightlifting Championships were held in Constanţa, Romania from May 13 to May 21, 1972. This was the 51st edition of the event. There were 157 men in action from 27 nations.

## Medal summary

| Event | Gold | Gold | Silver | Silver | Bronze | Bronze |
| 52 kg |||||||
| Press | Adam Gnatov Soviet Union | 120.0 kg | Zygmunt Smalcerz Poland | 112.5 kg | Lajos Szűcs Hungary | 107.5 kg |
| Snatch | Zygmunt Smalcerz Poland | 102.5 kg | Ion Hortopan Romania | 95.0 kg | Boleslav Pachol Czechoslovakia | 95.0 kg |
| Clean & Jerk | Lajos Szűcs Hungary | 127.5 kg | Adam Gnatov Soviet Union | 127.5 kg | Zygmunt Smalcerz Poland | 125.0 kg |
| Total | Zygmunt Smalcerz Poland | 340.0 kg | Adam Gnatov Soviet Union | 332.5 kg | Lajos Szűcs Hungary | 327.5 kg |
| 56 kg |||||||
| Press | Rafail Belenkov Soviet Union | 120.0 kg | Waldemar Korcz Poland | 115.0 kg | Georgi Todorov Bulgaria | 115.0 kg |
| Snatch | Rafail Belenkov Soviet Union | 105.0 kg | Szymon Czyz Poland | 105.0 kg | Georgi Todorov Bulgaria | 102.5 kg |
| Clean & Jerk | Georgi Todorov Bulgaria | 137.5 kg | Rafail Belenkov Soviet Union | 135.0 kg | Victor Rusu Romania | 135.0 kg |
| Total | Rafail Belenkov Soviet Union | 360.0 kg | Georgi Todorov Bulgaria | 355.0 kg | Waldemar Korcz Poland | 352.5 kg |
| 60 kg |||||||
| Press | Henryk Trębicki Poland | 125.0 kg | Ymer Pampuri Albania | 125.0 kg | Dito Shanidze Soviet Union | 122.5 kg |
| Snatch | Dito Shanidze Soviet Union | 120.0 kg | Norair Nurikyan Bulgaria | 117.5 kg | Wolfgang Zander East Germany | 112.5 kg |
| Clean & Jerk | Dito Shanidze Soviet Union | 152.5 kg | Norair Nurikyan Bulgaria | 150.0 kg | Mieczysław Nowak Poland | 150.0 kg |
| Total | Dito Shanidze Soviet Union | 395.0 kg | Norair Nurikyan Bulgaria | 387.5 kg | Mieczysław Nowak Poland | 375.0 kg |
| 67.5 kg |||||||
| Press | Mladen Kuchev Bulgaria | 155.0 kg | Zbigniew Kaczmarek Poland | 150.0 kg | Pietro Masala West Germany | 142.5 kg |
| Snatch | Mukharby Kirzhinov Soviet Union | 130.0 kg | Mladen Kuchev Bulgaria | 125.0 kg | Zbigniew Kaczmarek Poland | 125.0 kg |
| Clean & Jerk | Mladen Kuchev Bulgaria | 167.5 kg | Mukharby Kirzhinov Soviet Union | 167.5 kg | Zbigniew Kaczmarek Poland | 167.5 kg |
| Total | Mladen Kuchev Bulgaria | 447.5 kg | Zbigniew Kaczmarek Poland | 442.5 kg | Mukharby Kirzhinov Soviet Union | 435.0 kg |
| 75 kg |||||||
| Press | Viktor Kurentsov Soviet Union | 160.0 kg | Yordan Bikov Bulgaria | 155.0 kg | Anselmo Silvino Italy | 150.0 kg |
| Snatch | Aimé Terme France | 140.0 kg | Yordan Bikov Bulgaria | 137.5 kg | Frank Zielecke East Germany | 137.5 kg |
| Clean & Jerk | Yordan Bikov Bulgaria | 185.0 kg | Viktor Kurentsov Soviet Union | 177.5 kg | Anselmo Silvino Italy | 175.0 kg |
| Total | Yordan Bikov Bulgaria | 477.5 kg | Viktor Kurentsov Soviet Union | 472.5 kg | Anselmo Silvino Italy | 460.0 kg |
| 82.5 kg |||||||
| Press | Boris Pavlov Soviet Union | 175.0 kg | Leif Jenssen Norway | 170.0 kg | Dino Turcato Italy | 165.0 kg |
| Snatch | Kaarlo Kangasniemi Finland | 155.0 kg | Leif Jenssen Norway | 150.0 kg | Boris Pavlov Soviet Union | 147.5 kg |
| Clean & Jerk | Boris Pavlov Soviet Union | 190.0 kg | Juhani Avellan Finland | 187.5 kg | Norbert Ozimek Poland | 185.0 kg |
| Total | Boris Pavlov Soviet Union | 512.5 kg | Leif Jenssen Norway | 505.0 kg | Kaarlo Kangasniemi Finland | 495.0 kg |
| 90 kg |||||||
| Press | David Rigert Soviet Union | 185.0 kg | Karl Arnold East Germany | 185.0 kg | Andon Nikolov Bulgaria | 182.5 kg |
| Snatch | David Rigert Soviet Union | 165.0 kg | Jaakko Kailajärvi Finland | 155.0 kg | Andon Nikolov Bulgaria | 152.5 kg |
| Clean & Jerk | David Rigert Soviet Union | 207.5 kg | Atanas Shopov Bulgaria | 202.5 kg | Jaakko Kailajärvi Finland | 190.0 kg |
| Total | David Rigert Soviet Union | 557.5 kg | Atanas Shopov Bulgaria | 527.5 kg | Andon Nikolov Bulgaria | 525.0 kg |
| 110 kg |||||||
| Press | Jaan Talts Soviet Union | 200.0 kg | Helmut Losch East Germany | 192.5 kg | Stefan Grützner East Germany | 187.5 kg |
| Snatch | Jaan Talts Soviet Union | 165.0 kg | Kauko Kangasniemi Finland | 160.0 kg | Stefan Grützner East Germany | 157.5 kg |
| Clean & Jerk | Jaan Talts Soviet Union | 222.5 kg | Stefan Grützner East Germany | 205.0 kg | Kauko Kangasniemi Finland | 200.0 kg |
| Total | Jaan Talts Soviet Union | 587.5 kg | Stefan Grützner East Germany | 550.0 kg | Kauko Kangasniemi Finland | 540.0 kg |
| +110 kg |||||||
| Press | Rudolf Mang West Germany | 230.0 kg | Vasily Alekseyev Soviet Union | 225.0 kg | Serge Reding Belgium | 210.0 kg |
| Snatch | Rudolf Mang West Germany | 177.5 kg | Vasily Alekseyev Soviet Union | 175.0 kg | Kalevi Lahdenranta Finland | 170.0 kg |
| Clean & Jerk | Vasily Alekseyev Soviet Union | 232.5 kg | Rudolf Mang West Germany | 222.5 kg | Gerd Bonk East Germany | 215.0 kg |
| Total | Vasily Alekseyev Soviet Union | 632.5 kg | Rudolf Mang West Germany | 630.0 kg | Gerd Bonk East Germany | 565.0 kg |

## Medal table

Ranking by Big (Total result) medals
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | Soviet Union | 6 | 2 | 1 | 9 |
| 2 | Bulgaria | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| 3 | Poland | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| 4 | East Germany | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 5 | Norway | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 5 | West Germany | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 7 | Finland | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 8 | Hungary | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 8 | Italy | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (9 entries) | Totals (9 entries) | 9 | 9 | 9 | 27 |