Matthias Steiner
Encyclopedia
Matthias Steiner is an Austrian
-German
weightlifter, and Olympic gold medalist
. He is 183 cm tall.
As a native Austria
n, he competed for Austria internationally from 1998 to 2005, in European Championships, World Championships, and the 2004 Summer Olympics
. From 2002 to 2005 he was four times Austrian National Champion in the +105 kg category, and holds Austrian records in the −105 kg and +105 kg categories. In 2005 Steiner left the Austrian weightlifting federation, and married a German woman.
Although his wife died in a car accident, he continued his weightlifting career in Germany, eventually received German citizenship in early 2008, won overall silver at the 2008 European Championships
, and the gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics
.
, Austria
. He hails from Obersulz in Lower Austria
, where he attended Volksschule
(primary school), then Hauptschule
(secondary school). Steiner completed an apprenticeship
in plumbing
.
He started weightlifting in 1995.
His father, Friedrich Steiner, a 20-time IWF
-Masters World Weightlifting Champion, and also ranks first on the IWF 2008 Hall of Fame Survey of Leading Master Lifters.
Since an untreated infection Steiner suffers from diabetes, diagnosed at his 18th birthday.
Before the diagnosis, the first symptom was an intense thirst, then he lost appetite, and 5 kilograms (11 lb) body weight within three months. He went to the doctor when his sight deteriorated.
Despite the diagnosis he followed his dream to become a weightlifter.
In 2004, a German woman from Zwickau
in Saxony
had watched Steiner participating in weightlifting contests on TV. She kept asking the Eurosport
commentators for his email address, until they gave it to her. She contacted Steiner, and he agreed to meet her in Lower Austria. They married shortly thereafter and hence he moved to Germany, where he then applied for German citizenship.
On July 16, 2007 his wife Susann died in a car accident. Despite the tragic loss, and after losing 7 kilograms (15.4 lb) or 8 kilograms (17.6 lb) body weight, he was able to continue his training.
In October 2008, Steiner got acquainted with German TV-newsreader Inge Posmyk. They married in January 2010.
At the 2000 European Junior Championships in Rijeka
, Croatia
he came in 8th place in the 94 kg category, with a total of 320 kg (142.5 kg snatch
and 177.5 kg clean and jerk
).
At the 2001 European Junior Championships in Kalmar
, Sweden
he won bronze in the -105 kg category, with 360 kg (165 kg and 195 kg). At that time he competed for the AC Woge Bregenz
weightlifting club. At the 2002 European Junior Championships in Havířov
, Czech Republic
he won bronze again in the -105 kg category, with 380 kg (172.5 kg and 207.5 kg).
Steiner won the Austrian National Championships in the +105 kg category in 2002 with a total of 370 kg, and in 2003 with a total of 390 kg.
Steiner continued to increase his performance; at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens
he competed for Austria, and lifted 405 kg (182.5 kg and 222.5 kg) and went into 7th place in the -105 kg category
.
Until 2005 he competed regularly in World Championships and European Championships for Austria.
In 2005, the Austrian national coach was replaced against Steiners will, which caused tension between Steiner and the Austrian weightlifting federation. He kept the coach as personal coach, who however did not get accredited for the 2005 European Championships
in Sofia
.
Steiner also could no longer keep his body weight below 105 kilograms (231.5 lb), and bulked up for the +105 kg category. The 2005 European Championships were his first event in the new weight category.
At the European Championships, a lot went wrong and Steiner failed three snatch attempts. He had to compete in the B-group, because the European Weightlifting Federation did not accept the announced starting weights. After warming up he disagreed with the national coach concerning the starting weight, and time ran out on the first attempt.
The Austrian national coach, together with other functionaries, accused Steiner of deliberate failure, which Steiner denied. As a consequence, he left the Austrian weightlifting federation.
he was co-commentator with Marc Huster
for Eurosport
. Since moving to Germany he competes for the Chemnitz
er AC weightlifting club, and is their team captain in the German weightlifting league. Steiner trains in the German Federal Weightlifting Center in Leimen
near Heidelberg
, with German national coach Frank Mantek.
At the 2008 European Championships
in Lignano Sabbiadoro
, Italy
in the over 105 kg category he was the only lifter to snatch
200 kg, winning gold. In clean and jerk
he won bronze with a personal best of 246 kg. All his six attempts were successful. With a total result of 446 kg he won overall silver behind Viktors Ščerbatihs
from Latvia
, who lifted 447 kg.
The biggest success of Steiner's career came in August 2008, when he won the gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics
. After World record holder Hossein Rezazadeh
had retired in July 2008, the event turned into a close competition between Steiner, Evgeny Chigishev
, and the tournament favorite, European
and World champion
Viktors Ščerbatihs
.
During the Olympic competition
, Steiner failed in his third snatch
attempt, and with 203 kg ranked fourth after the snatch. Ščerbatihs was in position to take the lead in the clean and jerk
, but failed in his second attempt. Steiner also failed in his first clean and jerk attempt, and Chigishev took the lead with 250 kg in the clean and jerk. Ščerbatihs failed in his third attempt, which would have forced Steiner to increase his last attempt to 259 kg in order to win gold. With a successful clean and jerk of 258 kg, and a total of 461 kg, Steiner became Olympic gold medalist.
Steiner stood on the medalists' podium with a photo of his late wife, who would otherwise have accompanied him to the Games.
. He had to pull out of competing at the 2009 Arnold Sports Festival in March, nevertheless was part of the German delegation at the event and met with Arnold Schwarzenegger
.
At the 2009 German Championships he ranked second in the snatch
behind Almir Velagic
, and won overall with a total of 430 kg.
Steiner holds Austrian records in the -105 kg and +105 kg categories.
. Previously, he was supported by Stiftung Deutsche Sporthilfe and his weightlifting club Chemnitzer AC. The Bundeswehr
, while supporting other German weightlifters, did not admit Steiner because of his diabetes.
's Olympian, titled "Supersteiner".
, where he participated in or commented on weightlifting competitions, Steiner also appeared on a number of talk show
s and game show
s in Germany and Austria, including Wetten, dass..?
and Die Millionenshow
(Austrian Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, Celebrity Special Edition).
Austrians
Austrians are a nation and ethnic group, consisting of the population of the Republic of Austria and its historical predecessor states who share a common Austrian culture and Austrian descent....
-German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
weightlifter, and Olympic gold medalist
Weightlifting at the Summer Olympics
Weightlifting has been contested at every Summer Olympic Games since the 1920 Summer Olympics, as well as twice before then. It debuted at the 1896 Summer Olympics, in Athens, Greece, and was also an event at the 1904 Games.-Men's events:...
. He is 183 cm tall.
As a native Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n, he competed for Austria internationally from 1998 to 2005, in European Championships, World Championships, and the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
. From 2002 to 2005 he was four times Austrian National Champion in the +105 kg category, and holds Austrian records in the −105 kg and +105 kg categories. In 2005 Steiner left the Austrian weightlifting federation, and married a German woman.
Although his wife died in a car accident, he continued his weightlifting career in Germany, eventually received German citizenship in early 2008, won overall silver at the 2008 European Championships
2008 European Weightlifting Championships
The 2008 European Weightlifting Championships were held in Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy from 11 April to 20 April 2008. It was the 87th edition of the event, which was first staged in 1896.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medals tables:...
, and the gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
.
Early and personal life
Matthias Steiner was born in ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. He hails from Obersulz in Lower Austria
Lower Austria
Lower Austria is the northeasternmost state of the nine states in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria since 1986 is Sankt Pölten, the most recently designated capital town in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria had formerly been Vienna, even though Vienna is not officially part of Lower Austria...
, where he attended Volksschule
Volksschule
A Volksschule was an 18th century system of state-supported primary schools established in the Habsburg Austrian Empire and Prussia . Attendance was supposedly compulsory, but a 1781 census reveals that only one fourth of school-age children attended. At the time, this was one of the few examples...
(primary school), then Hauptschule
Hauptschule
A Hauptschule is a secondary school in Germany and Austria, starting after 4 years of elementary schooling, which offers Lower Secondary Education according to the International Standard Classification of Education...
(secondary school). Steiner completed an apprenticeship
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a skill. Apprentices or protégés build their careers from apprenticeships...
in plumbing
Plumbing
Plumbing is the system of pipes and drains installed in a building for the distribution of potable drinking water and the removal of waterborne wastes, and the skilled trade of working with pipes, tubing and plumbing fixtures in such systems. A plumber is someone who installs or repairs piping...
.
He started weightlifting in 1995.
His father, Friedrich Steiner, a 20-time IWF
International Weightlifting Federation
The International Weightlifting Federation , headquartered in Budapest, is the international governing body for the sport of Olympic weightlifting.The IWF was founded in 1905, and has 187 member nations. The IWF president is Dr...
-Masters World Weightlifting Champion, and also ranks first on the IWF 2008 Hall of Fame Survey of Leading Master Lifters.
Since an untreated infection Steiner suffers from diabetes, diagnosed at his 18th birthday.
Before the diagnosis, the first symptom was an intense thirst, then he lost appetite, and 5 kilograms (11 lb) body weight within three months. He went to the doctor when his sight deteriorated.
Despite the diagnosis he followed his dream to become a weightlifter.
In 2004, a German woman from Zwickau
Zwickau
Zwickau in Germany, former seat of the government of the south-western region of the Free State of Saxony, belongs to an industrial and economical core region. Nowadays it is the capital city of the district of Zwickau...
in Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
had watched Steiner participating in weightlifting contests on TV. She kept asking the Eurosport
Eurosport
Eurosport is a pan-European television sport network operated by French broadcaster TF1 Group. The network of channels are available in 59 countries, in 20 different languages providing viewers with European and international sporting events...
commentators for his email address, until they gave it to her. She contacted Steiner, and he agreed to meet her in Lower Austria. They married shortly thereafter and hence he moved to Germany, where he then applied for German citizenship.
On July 16, 2007 his wife Susann died in a car accident. Despite the tragic loss, and after losing 7 kilograms (15.4 lb) or 8 kilograms (17.6 lb) body weight, he was able to continue his training.
In October 2008, Steiner got acquainted with German TV-newsreader Inge Posmyk. They married in January 2010.
1998-2003
Steiner participated in the 1998 and 1999 European Junior Championships, and the 2000 Junior World Championships.At the 2000 European Junior Championships in Rijeka
Rijeka
Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
he came in 8th place in the 94 kg category, with a total of 320 kg (142.5 kg snatch
Snatch (weightlifting)
The snatch is one of the two olympic weightlifting events .The essence of the event is to lift a barbell from the platform to locked arms overhead in a smooth continuous movement. The barbell is pulled as high as the lifter can manage at which point the barbell is flipped overhead...
and 177.5 kg clean and jerk
Clean and jerk
The clean and jerk is one of the two Olympic weightlifting events .The clean portion of the lift refers to the lifter explosively pulling the weight from the floor to a racked position across deltoids and clavicles...
).
At the 2001 European Junior Championships in Kalmar
Kalmar
Kalmar is a city in Småland in the south-east of Sweden, situated by the Baltic Sea. It had 62,767 inhabitants in 2010 and is the seat of Kalmar Municipality. It is also the capital of Kalmar County, which comprises 12 municipalities with a total of 233,776 inhabitants .From the thirteenth to the...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
he won bronze in the -105 kg category, with 360 kg (165 kg and 195 kg). At that time he competed for the AC Woge Bregenz
Bregenz
-Culture:The annual summer music festival Bregenzer Festspiele is a world-famous festival which takes place on and around a stage on Lake Constance, where a different opera is performed every second year.-Sport:* A1 Bregenz HB is a handball team....
weightlifting club. At the 2002 European Junior Championships in Havířov
Havírov
Havířov is a city in the Karviná District, Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has 82,768 inhabitants, making it the second-largest city in the region. It is the largest town in the country without a university...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
he won bronze again in the -105 kg category, with 380 kg (172.5 kg and 207.5 kg).
Steiner won the Austrian National Championships in the +105 kg category in 2002 with a total of 370 kg, and in 2003 with a total of 390 kg.
2004
He won the 2004 Austrian National Championships in the +105 kg category with a total of 400 kg.Steiner continued to increase his performance; at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
he competed for Austria, and lifted 405 kg (182.5 kg and 222.5 kg) and went into 7th place in the -105 kg category
Weightlifting at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Men's 105 kg
These are the results of the men's 105 kg competition in weightlifting at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens...
.
2005
Steiner won the 2005 Austrian National Championships in the +105 kg category with a total of 382.5 kg.Until 2005 he competed regularly in World Championships and European Championships for Austria.
In 2005, the Austrian national coach was replaced against Steiners will, which caused tension between Steiner and the Austrian weightlifting federation. He kept the coach as personal coach, who however did not get accredited for the 2005 European Championships
2005 European Weightlifting Championships
The 2005 European Weightlifting Championships were held in Sofia, Bulgaria from April 19 to April 24, 2005. It was the 84th edition of the event. There were a total number of 185 athletes competing, from 30 nations.-Men:-Women:-Medal table:...
in Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
.
Steiner also could no longer keep his body weight below 105 kilograms (231.5 lb), and bulked up for the +105 kg category. The 2005 European Championships were his first event in the new weight category.
At the European Championships, a lot went wrong and Steiner failed three snatch attempts. He had to compete in the B-group, because the European Weightlifting Federation did not accept the announced starting weights. After warming up he disagreed with the national coach concerning the starting weight, and time ran out on the first attempt.
The Austrian national coach, together with other functionaries, accused Steiner of deliberate failure, which Steiner denied. As a consequence, he left the Austrian weightlifting federation.
2006-2007
During the three years that Steiner applied for German citizenship, he was not allowed to compete in international competitions. At the 2007 European Championships2007 European Weightlifting Championships
The 2007 European Weightlifting Championships were held in Strasbourg, France from 17 April to 22 April 2007. It was the 86th edition of the event, which was first staged in 1896.-Men:-Women:-Medal table:-References:*...
he was co-commentator with Marc Huster
Marc Huster
Marc Huster is a German weightlifter and sports commentator.World Champion in Istanbul 1994, European Champion in Rijeka 1997, Riesa 1998, and Deportivo La Coruña 1999...
for Eurosport
Eurosport
Eurosport is a pan-European television sport network operated by French broadcaster TF1 Group. The network of channels are available in 59 countries, in 20 different languages providing viewers with European and international sporting events...
. Since moving to Germany he competes for the Chemnitz
Chemnitz
Chemnitz is the third-largest city of the Free State of Saxony, Germany. Chemnitz is an independent city which is not part of any county and seat of the government region Direktionsbezirk Chemnitz. Located in the northern foothills of the Ore Mountains, it is a part of the Saxon triangle...
er AC weightlifting club, and is their team captain in the German weightlifting league. Steiner trains in the German Federal Weightlifting Center in Leimen
Leimen (Baden)
Leimen is a town in north-west Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is about south of Heidelberg and the third largest town of the Rhein-Neckar district after Weinheim and Sinsheim...
near Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
, with German national coach Frank Mantek.
2008
Steiner received German citizenship in early 2008, and started to compete internationally again, for Germany. On January 23, he won the Beijing Pre-Olympic Tournament with a total of 423 kg.At the 2008 European Championships
2008 European Weightlifting Championships
The 2008 European Weightlifting Championships were held in Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy from 11 April to 20 April 2008. It was the 87th edition of the event, which was first staged in 1896.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medals tables:...
in Lignano Sabbiadoro
Lignano Sabbiadoro
Lignano Sabbiadoro is a village and comune within the province of Udine, in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region . It is one of the main summer resorts in northern Italy and in the Adriatic Sea coast.-History:...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in the over 105 kg category he was the only lifter to snatch
Snatch (weightlifting)
The snatch is one of the two olympic weightlifting events .The essence of the event is to lift a barbell from the platform to locked arms overhead in a smooth continuous movement. The barbell is pulled as high as the lifter can manage at which point the barbell is flipped overhead...
200 kg, winning gold. In clean and jerk
Clean and jerk
The clean and jerk is one of the two Olympic weightlifting events .The clean portion of the lift refers to the lifter explosively pulling the weight from the floor to a racked position across deltoids and clavicles...
he won bronze with a personal best of 246 kg. All his six attempts were successful. With a total result of 446 kg he won overall silver behind Viktors Ščerbatihs
Viktors Scerbatihs
TotalTotalViktors Ščerbatihs is a Latvian weightlifter and politician and a three-time Olympian for his native country. He is 181 cm tall....
from Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, who lifted 447 kg.
The biggest success of Steiner's career came in August 2008, when he won the gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
. After World record holder Hossein Rezazadeh
Hossein Rezazadeh
Hossein Rezazadeh is an Iranian former world and double Olympic champion in Olympic weightlifting. He is also a world record holder in the clean and jerk and considered as one of the greatest weightlifters of all time.- Career :...
had retired in July 2008, the event turned into a close competition between Steiner, Evgeny Chigishev
Evgeny Chigishev
Evgeny Alexandrovich Chigishev is a Russian weightlifter competing in the +105 kg category. He is 187 cm tall.At the 2000 Summer Olympics he competed in the 105 kg category, ranking 5th....
, and the tournament favorite, European
2008 European Weightlifting Championships
The 2008 European Weightlifting Championships were held in Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy from 11 April to 20 April 2008. It was the 87th edition of the event, which was first staged in 1896.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medals tables:...
and World champion
2007 World Weightlifting Championships
The Royal World Weightlifting Championships 2007 were held at the 700th Anniversary Sports Complex in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The event took place from September 17 to September 26, 2007.-Men:-Women:-Medal table:...
Viktors Ščerbatihs
Viktors Scerbatihs
TotalTotalViktors Ščerbatihs is a Latvian weightlifter and politician and a three-time Olympian for his native country. He is 181 cm tall....
.
During the Olympic competition
Weightlifting at the 2008 Summer Olympics - Men's +105 kg
The Men's +105 kg weightlifting event was the heaviest men's event at the 2008 Summer Olympics weightlifting competition, allowing competitors of over 105 kilograms of body mass. The whole competition took place on August 19, but was divided in two parts due to the number of competitors. Group...
, Steiner failed in his third snatch
Snatch (weightlifting)
The snatch is one of the two olympic weightlifting events .The essence of the event is to lift a barbell from the platform to locked arms overhead in a smooth continuous movement. The barbell is pulled as high as the lifter can manage at which point the barbell is flipped overhead...
attempt, and with 203 kg ranked fourth after the snatch. Ščerbatihs was in position to take the lead in the clean and jerk
Clean and jerk
The clean and jerk is one of the two Olympic weightlifting events .The clean portion of the lift refers to the lifter explosively pulling the weight from the floor to a racked position across deltoids and clavicles...
, but failed in his second attempt. Steiner also failed in his first clean and jerk attempt, and Chigishev took the lead with 250 kg in the clean and jerk. Ščerbatihs failed in his third attempt, which would have forced Steiner to increase his last attempt to 259 kg in order to win gold. With a successful clean and jerk of 258 kg, and a total of 461 kg, Steiner became Olympic gold medalist.
Steiner stood on the medalists' podium with a photo of his late wife, who would otherwise have accompanied him to the Games.
2009
In January 2009, Steiner was operated on for an inguinal herniaInguinal hernia
An inguinal hernia is a protrusion of abdominal-cavity contents through the inguinal canal. They are very common , and their repair is one of the most frequently performed surgical operations....
. He had to pull out of competing at the 2009 Arnold Sports Festival in March, nevertheless was part of the German delegation at the event and met with Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
.
At the 2009 German Championships he ranked second in the snatch
Snatch (weightlifting)
The snatch is one of the two olympic weightlifting events .The essence of the event is to lift a barbell from the platform to locked arms overhead in a smooth continuous movement. The barbell is pulled as high as the lifter can manage at which point the barbell is flipped overhead...
behind Almir Velagic
Almir Velagic
Almir Velagić is a Bosnian-German weightlifter competing in the +105 kg category.Velagić became German citizen in 2000....
, and won overall with a total of 430 kg.
Career statistics
| Date | Tournament | Venue | Weight category | Snatch | Rank | Clean and jerk | Rank | Overall | Rank |
| 2001-04-28 | European Championships | Trenčín, Slovakia | -94 kg | 150.0 kg | 15th | 175.0 kg | 15th | 325.0 kg | 16th |
| 2002-04-25 | European Championships | Antalya, Turkey | +105 kg | 172.5 kg | 12th | 207.5 kg | 11th | 380 kg | 11th |
| 2002-11-23 | World Championships | Warsaw, Poland | -105 kg | 180.0 kg | 12th | 215.0 kg | 12th | 395.0 kg | 12th |
| 2003-04-18 | European Championships | Loutraki, Greece | -105 kg | 180.0 kg | 8th | 212.5 kg | 9th | 392.5 kg | 8th |
| 2003-11-17 | World Championships | Vancouver, Canada 2003 World Weightlifting Championships The 2003 World Weightlifting Championships were held in Vancouver, Canada from November 14 to November 22, 2003.-Men:-Women:-Medal table:Ranking by Big medals... |
-105 kg | 182.5 kg | 9th | 220.0 kg | 6th | 402.5 kg | 7th |
| 2004-04-24 | European Championships | Kiev, Ukraine | -105 kg | 180.0 kg | 10th | 225.0 kg | 5th | 405.0 kg | 7th |
| 2004-08-15 | Olympic Games | Athens, Greece Weightlifting at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Men's 105 kg These are the results of the men's 105 kg competition in weightlifting at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens... |
-105 kg | 182.5 kg | - | 222.5 kg | - | 405.0 kg | 7th |
| 2005-04-22 | European Championships | Sofia, Bulgaria | +105 kg | - | - | - | - | - | DNF |
| 2008-04-14 | European Championships | Lignano S., Italy 2008 European Weightlifting Championships The 2008 European Weightlifting Championships were held in Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy from 11 April to 20 April 2008. It was the 87th edition of the event, which was first staged in 1896.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medals tables:... |
+105 kg | 200.0 kg | 1st | 246.0 kg | 3rd | 446.0 kg | 2nd |
| 2008-08-19 | Olympic Games | Beijing, China Weightlifting at the 2008 Summer Olympics - Men's +105 kg The Men's +105 kg weightlifting event was the heaviest men's event at the 2008 Summer Olympics weightlifting competition, allowing competitors of over 105 kilograms of body mass. The whole competition took place on August 19, but was divided in two parts due to the number of competitors. Group... |
+105 kg | 203.0 kg | - | 258.0 kg | - | 461.0 kg | 1st |
| 2010-04-11 | European Championships | Minsk, Belarus 2010 European Weightlifting Championships The 2010 European Weightlifting Championships was held in Minsk, Belarus from 2 April to 11 April 2010. It was the 89th edition of the event, which was first staged in 1896.-Men:-Women:- Medals tables :... |
+105 kg | 190.0 kg | 4th | 236.0 kg | 2nd | 426.0 kg | 3nd |
National championships
| Year | Country | Weight category | Snatch | Rank | Clean and jerk | Rank | Overall | Rank |
| 2002 | Austria | +105 kg | 167.5 kg | 1st | 202.5 kg | 1st | 370.0 kg | 1st |
| 2003 | Austria | +105 kg | 175.0 kg | 1st | 215.0 kg | 1st | 390.0 kg | 1st |
| 2004 | Austria | +105 kg | 177.5 kg | 1st | 222.5 kg | 1st | 400.0 kg | 1st |
| 2005 | Austria | +105 kg | 172.5 kg | 1st | 210.0 kg | 1st | 382.5 kg | 1st |
| 2009 | Germany | +105 kg | 190.0 kg | 2nd | 240.0 kg | 1st | 430.0 kg | 1st |
Personal bests
- SnatchSnatch (weightlifting)The snatch is one of the two olympic weightlifting events .The essence of the event is to lift a barbell from the platform to locked arms overhead in a smooth continuous movement. The barbell is pulled as high as the lifter can manage at which point the barbell is flipped overhead...
: 203 kg (447.5 lb) - Clean and jerkClean and jerkThe clean and jerk is one of the two Olympic weightlifting events .The clean portion of the lift refers to the lifter explosively pulling the weight from the floor to a racked position across deltoids and clavicles...
: 258 kg (568.8 lb) - Combined: 461 kg (1,016.3 lb)
Steiner holds Austrian records in the -105 kg and +105 kg categories.
Sponsorships
In 2008, Steiner signed a four year contract with marketing company "movie & more" in CologneCologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
. Previously, he was supported by Stiftung Deutsche Sporthilfe and his weightlifting club Chemnitzer AC. The Bundeswehr
Bundeswehr
The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...
, while supporting other German weightlifters, did not admit Steiner because of his diabetes.
Media
On August 20, 2008, the day after he won the Olympic gold medal, Steiner featured on the cover of China DailyChina Daily
The China Daily is an English language daily newspaper published in the People's Republic of China.- Overview :China Daily was established in June 1981 and has the widest print circulation of any English-language newspaper in the country...
's Olympian, titled "Supersteiner".
TV appearances
Apart from sports eventsBroadcasting of sports events
The broadcasting of sports events is the coverage of sports as a television program, on radio and other broadcasting media. It usually involves one or more sports commentators describing the events as they happen.-United States:...
, where he participated in or commented on weightlifting competitions, Steiner also appeared on a number of talk show
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
s and game show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
s in Germany and Austria, including Wetten, dass..?
Wetten, dass..?
Wetten, dass..? is a long-running German-language entertainment television show. It is the most successful Saturday television show in Europe...
and Die Millionenshow
Die Millionenshow
* November 11, 2002: Christiane de Piero * May 9, 2003: Sigrid Weiß-Lutz * November 3, 2003: Karin Huber...
(Austrian Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, Celebrity Special Edition).
Awards
- Goldenes Ehrenzeichen für Verdienste um die Republik Österreich (Austria)
- Silbernes Lorbeerblatt (Germany)
- 2008 German Weightlifter of the Year
- 2008 Bambi awardBambi (prize)The Bambi - Deutschlands Wichtigster Medienpreis, often simply called Bambi Awards and stylized as BAMBI, are presented annually by Hubert Burda Media to recognize excellence in international media and television "with vision and creativity who affected and inspired the German public that year",...
, category Sports - 2008 German Sportspersonality of the yearGerman Sportspersonality of the yearThe German Sportspersonality of the Year is chosen annually since 1947, for both men and women. The recordholder is tennis player Steffi Graf . Swimmer Michael Groß, tennis player Boris Becker, and high jumper Ulrike Meyfarth each have four awards...
- Steiner was the first weightlifter to receive this award. - 2008 IWF World Weightlifting Lifter of the Year
External links
- Athlete Biography at beijing2008