Franz Langthaler (weightlifter)

Franz Wilhelm Langthaler (born November 10, 1964 in Vienna ) is a former Austrian weightlifter . He took part in the Olympic Games twice and reached many Austrian records. Today he brings his experience as Vice President of the Austrian Weightlifting Association and in the Sports Office of the City of Vienna.

Franz Langthaler autograph card from 1988

Career

Profile career

Langthaler was the most important Austrian weightlifter in the 1980s. He took part in the Olympic Games twice, 1984 in Los Angeles and 1988 in Seoul . In 1985 he achieved a duel of 385 kg, which a year earlier would have meant the Olympic victory in the class up to 100 kg. His best mark from 1989 was a duel of 400 kg, with 180 kg in snatch and 220 kg in push . This achievement meant a long unbroken Austrian record. To date only four Austrian weightlifters (Vinzenz Hörtnagl, Stefan Lackner and Matthias Steiner ) have managed to reach the 400 kg mark, with Langthaler weighing by far the lightest competition weight.

In 1987 Franz Langthaler suffered a serious shoulder injury while attempting to tear 190 kg (world record at the time: 196 kg). After this injury, he had to change his tear technique and it took a long time to get back to his old level. His goal was to get gold at the 1988 Olympics, and he never came so close to world records again. In 1991, at the age of 26, his professional career ended surprisingly, a year before the Barcelona Olympics and only a few weeks before the European Weightlifting Championships.

Comeback and life after sport

Nine years later there was a spontaneous and at the same time sensational comeback. Langthaler decided to help his home club Post SV and subsequently competed in the team competitions. And in fact it was possible, not least thanks to his achievements, to bring the team title to Vienna. At the age of 36 he achieved a performance of 170 kg in the snatch and 190 kg in the push.

After his more than 10 year long career in the world class in weightlifting, Franz Langthaler works today in the sports department of the city of Vienna. As Vice President of the Austrian Weightlifting Association, he is also committed to his sport.

Personal best

• Tear: 187.5 kg
• Push: 220 kg
• Duel: 400 kg

The biggest successes

National

• 18 individual national championship titles (composed of titles for snatching, pushing and dueling)
• 6 team titles
• More than 50 Austrian records
• Well over 200 young talent records
• Numerous youth and junior championship titles

International

• 4th in snatch, 8th in thrust, and 6th in duel at the 1984 Olympic Games
• 6th in snatch, 8th in pushing, and 8th in a duel at the 1988 Olympic Games
• Winner of the Austrian Cup 1986
• Danube Cup Winner 1987 (first success in the Danube Cup for Austria in 19 years)
• 4th place at world weightlifting championships
• 3 times 4th places at European Championships
• 4th of the Junior World Championships 1984

Results of the Austrian individual national championship titles

• 1984: Cat. 100 kg - 1st place in snatch: 165 kg, push: 205 kg and duel: 370 kg
• 1986: Cat. 100 kg - 1st place in snatch: 160 kg, push: 185 kg and duel: 345 kg
• 1987: Cat. 100 kg - 1st place in snatch: 170 kg, push: 200 kg and duel: 370 kg
• 1988: Cat. 110 kg - 1st place in snatch: 165 kg, push: 190 kg and duel: 355 kg
• 1989: Cat. 110 kg - 1st place in snatch: 160 kg, push: 180 kg and duel: 340 kg
• 1990: Cat. 110 kg - 1st place in snatch: 165 kg, push: 195 kg and duel: 360 kg

Awards

• Honored by the USSR as "Master of Sports"
• Silver Town Hall Man of the City of Vienna

Web links

• Video - 400kg in a duel
• Lists of results of all competitions of the 1984 Olympics
• Result lists of all competitions of the 1988 Olympics
• Official homepage of the Austrian Weightlifting Association
• Official homepage of the Post SV