Eko Yuli Irawan

Throughout his almost two-decade career in weightlifting, Eko Yuli Irawan has easily established himself as a heavyweight in his field, with more than 20 medals and titles to his name from international weightlifting competitions.

Just this year, Irawan added a silver medal to his haul, from the Tokyo Olympics nonetheless. It was his fourth outing since his debut in Beijing, where he took home a bronze medal in the 56 kg category. He has since upped the stakes in his subsequent Olympics participation, advancing to the 61 and 62 kg events. This paid off for Irawan, landing him podium finishes with bronze and silver at the 2012 London Olympics and 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, Brazil respectively. He also holds two Universiade records in Olympic weightlifting for 140 kg snatch and 310 kg total events in 2011.

Irawan first stepped into the international weightlifting stage in 2006 at the Junior World Championship in Hangzhou, China, where he nabbed the silver medal in the 56 kg category. Hailing from a working-class family, he grew up tending to his goats after school to make ends meet. His next target is to win gold for Indonesia at the 2024 Paris Olympics.