Total score was the sum of the lifter's best result in each of the snatch and the clean and jerk, with three lifts allowed for each lift. In case of a tie, the lighter lifter won; if still tied, the lifter who took the fewest attempts to achieve the total score won. Lifters without a valid snatch score did not perform the clean and jerk.
Russia's Khadzhimurat Akkaev and Dmitry Klokov were on the start list but did not compete.[4] Akkaev later failed a drug test,[5] and it was suggested that they did not compete to cover-up their use of performance enhancing drugs.[6]
On 22 December 2018, it was announced that Ukraine's Oleksiy Torokhtiy, who had originally been the gold medalist, and Uzbek Ruslan Nurudinov, who had originally finished fourth, had tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.[7]
In May 2019, Nurudinov was disqualified,[8][9] and in December 2019, Torokhtiy was also disqualified.[10] Medals were reallocated.[11]
