Luigi's Story
Tasmanian weightlifter Luigi “Gino” Fratangelo first represented Australia at the 1978 World Junior Championships, finishing 11th. He won the 90-kilogram division at the 1979 Oceania Championships, earning selection for the Moscow 1980 Olympic Games.
Fratangelo was 22 when he competed in Moscow’s 90-kilogram division. He successfully lifted 142.5 kilograms in the snatch but was unable to complete a clean and jerk, leaving him without a combined total or official placing.
Fratangelo later moved into heavier divisions and placed fourth in the 100-kilogram event at the 1982 Commonwealth Games. He won silver in the 110-kilogram division at Edinburgh 1986, lifting 165 kilograms in the snatch and 207.5 kilograms in the clean and jerk for a total of 372.5 kilograms.
