At Los Angeles 1932, France return to the top of the overall medals standings courtesy of success for Raymond Suvigny, René Duverger and Louis Hostin in the featherweight, lightweight and light heavyweight categories respectively.  

In 1984, the Soviet-led boycott of the Los Angeles Games meant that the most dominant forces in weightlifting at the time, the Soviet Union and Bulgaria, did not take part. 

China emerged as a powerhouse of the sport, winning gold medals through flyweight Zeng Guoqiang, bantamweight Wu Shude, featherweight Chen Weiqiang and lightweight Yao Jingyuan.

This saw them top the medal table in front of Romania.