Imre Földi facts for kids

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Imre Földi

Imre Földi at the 1964 Olympics
Personal information
Nationality	Hungarian
Born	(1938-05-08)8 May 1938 Kecskemét, Hungary
Died	23 April 2017(2017-04-23) (aged 78) Tatabánya, Hungary
Occupation	Locksmith
Height	1.50 m (4 ft 11 in)
Weight	56 kilograms (123 lb)
Sport
Country	Hungary
Sport	Weightlifting
Club	Tatabányai Bányász
Turned pro	1955
Retired	1978
Medal record Representing  Hungary Olympic Games Silver 1964 Tokyo -56 kg Silver 1968 Mexico City -56 kg Gold 1972 Munich -56 kg World Championships Bronze 1959 Warsaw -56 kg Silver 1961 Vienna -56 kg Silver 1962 Budapest -56 kg Bronze 1963 Stockholm -60 kg Silver 1964 Tokyo -56 kg Gold 1965 Tehran -56 kg Silver 1966 East Berlin -56 kg Silver 1968 Mexico City -56 kg Gold 1972 Munich -56 kg European Championships Bronze 1959 Warsaw -56 kg Silver 1960 Milan -56 kg Silver 1961 Vienna -56 kg Gold 1962 Budapest -56 kg Gold 1963 Stockholm -56 kg Silver 1965 Sofia -56 kg Silver 1966 Berlin -56 kg Gold 1968 Leningrad -56 kg Gold 1970 Szombathely -56 kg Gold 1971 Sofia -56 kg
Updated on 23 August 2014.

Imre Földi (born May 8, 1938 – died April 23, 2017) was a famous Hungarian weightlifter. He is remembered for competing in a record five Olympic Games. He won a gold medal in 1972 and silver medals in both 1964 and 1968. During his amazing career, he set 21 world records in weightlifting. After he stopped competing, he even coached his own daughter to become a European champion. Imre Földi received many awards for his achievements. He was named "Weightlifter of the Century" by the International Weightlifting Federation. He was also chosen as a "Sportsperson of the Nation" in Hungary, which is a very special honor.

Imre Földi's Early Life and Start in Weightlifting

Imre Földi was born in Kecskemét, Hungary. He lived there until he was 17 years old. Sadly, he lost his mother during World War II, so he grew up without her. Later, he moved to Tata to work. He had a job digging in a mine. People quickly noticed how strong he was. Because of his strength, he became a weightlifter for a club called Tatabányai Bányász.

His coach made sure he didn't have to work in the mine anymore. This was to keep him safe from any accidents that could happen there. This way, Imre could focus on his training and become a great weightlifter.

Imre Földi's Amazing Weightlifting Career

Imre Földi started his journey by competing in championships for miners. By 1957, he had already won his first Hungarian National Championships title. This showed everyone how talented he was.

First International Successes

Two years later, in 1959, he took part in his first big international event. This was the 1959 World Weightlifting Championships, where he won a bronze medal. His first major title came in 1962 at the European Championships. This event was held in Budapest, Hungary, so he won in front of his home crowd! Between 1963 and 1971, he won four more gold medals at the European Championships.

Winning World Titles

Imre Földi won three silver medals in a row at the World Championships. Finally, in 1965, he won his first world title. He repeated this amazing achievement in 1972, showing he was one of the best.

Olympic Journey and Close Battles

Földi first competed in the Olympic Games in 1960, where he finished sixth. His next two Olympics brought very close silver medals.

1964 Tokyo Olympics: A Dramatic Finish

At the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Imre Földi had a very exciting competition. He was ahead of his main opponent, Aleksey Vakhonin, after the first two lifts (the snatch and the clean and press). When Földi set a new world record in the clean and jerk (lifting 135 kg), people thought he had won. But Vakhonin then lifted an incredible 142.5 kg. This meant Vakhonin beat Földi by just 2.5 kg, and Földi earned the silver medal.

1968 Mexico City Olympics: Losing by Weight

Four years later, at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Földi came even closer to gold. He and his opponent, Mohammad Nassiri, both lifted the same total weight of 367.5 kg. This was a new world record! However, Nassiri was 300 grams lighter than Földi. In weightlifting, if two athletes lift the same total, the lighter one wins. So, Földi won another silver medal.

1972 Munich Olympics: Finally Gold!

Imre Földi finally reached the top in 1972 at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. He won the Olympic gold medal, beating his rival Nassiri. This gold medal also counted as a World Championships title. In the first lift, both Földi and Nassiri lifted 127.5 kg. In the snatch, Földi lifted 107.5 kg, giving him a small lead. Nassiri then tried to lift 142.5 kg in the clean & jerk, but failed his next attempts. Földi successfully lifted 142.5 kg, setting a new world record for the total weight lifted (377.5 kg). This secured his well-deserved gold medal!

Record-Breaking Olympic Appearances

Földi competed in his last Olympics in 1976 in Montreal. Here, he made history by becoming the first weightlifter to compete in five Olympic Games! This record was only matched 28 years later by two German weightlifters. At 38 years old, he still placed fifth. After an injury the next year, he decided to end his amazing career. During his time as an athlete, he set 21 world records and 50 national records. He also won 13 national titles in Hungary.

Imre Földi's Later Life and Special Honors

After he stopped competing, Imre Földi stayed with his club, Tatabánya. He became a coach, helping new weightlifters. His daughter, Csilla Földi, followed in his footsteps and became a European champion in weightlifting!

Awards and Recognition

Imre Földi's achievements were recognized even while he was still competing. He received important awards in Hungary in 1962, 1964, and 1972. In 1993, he was honored by being added to the International Weightlifting Federation Hall of Fame. This is a very special place for the best weightlifters ever.

He also received high honors from the Republic of Hungary in 1993 and 1994. In 2000, he was voted "Weightlifter of the Century" in Hungary. Five years later, in 2005, the International Weightlifting Federation gave him the same amazing recognition.

In 2003, he became an honorary citizen of Tatabánya, the city where he spent most of his career. Since 2009, the local sports hall, the Imre Földi Sports Hall, is named after him. In 2013, a special scholarship, the Imre Földi Sports Scholarship, was created to help young athletes in Tatabánya.

On January 31, 2007, Imre Földi was chosen as a Sportsperson of the Nation (A Nemzet Sportolója). This is a very rare and special honor in Hungary. Only 12 people can hold this title at one time. It is given to Hungarian sportspeople over 60 who had amazing careers and continued to play an important role in sports after they retired.