Eko Yuli Irawan

Eko Yuli Irawan (born 24 July 1989) is an Indonesian weightlifter, Olympian, and World Champion competing in the 62 kg category until 2018 and 61 kg starting in 2018 after the International Weightlifting Federation reorganized the categories.

Irawan started his career at the 2006 Junior World Championships, when he won a silver medal.

In his career he has won four medals at the Summer Olympics, eight medals at world championships, and three medals at the Asian Games, including a gold in 2018.

Irawan holds the title as an Indonesian athlete with the most medal collections at the Olympics, which was four medals.

He is Indonesia's first athlete to compete in five consecutive Olympic Games. Qualified for the Paris 2024 made him make history as an Indonesian athlete with the most appearances at the Olympics.

Career


Irawan's father worked as a paddle rickshaw driver, while his mother was selling vegetables. Irawan took up weightlifting in 2000. At the 2006 Junior World Championships he won the silver medal in the 56 kg category, lifting 269 kg in total. At the 2007 Junior World Championships he won the gold medal in the 56 kg category, lifting 273 kg in total.

Irawan ranked eighth at the 2006 World Championships in the 56 kg category. At the 2007 World Championships he won the bronze medal in the 56 kg category, lifting 278 kg in total.

Irawan won gold medals at the 2007 SEA Games and 2018 Asian Games.

At the 2008 Asian Championships he won the silver medal in the 62 kg category, lifting 305 kg in total.

Irawan won the bronze medal in the 56 kg category at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, lifting 288 kg in total. He won the silver medal in the 62 kg category at the 2009 World Weightlifting Championships, with 315 kg in total. At the 2011 World Championships he won the bronze medal in the 62 kg category, lifting 310 kg in total.

Irawan won his second consecutive Olympic bronze medal in 2012, lifting 317 kg in total. He improved to a silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics. He also become world champion in newly created 61 kg category in world weightlifting championship 2018 in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, also world record holder in clean & jerk at 174 kg and world record holder in total lift at 317 kg in that category.

He represented Indonesia at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. He won the silver in the men's 61 kg event at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.

Awards and nominations
Others:

By the Republic of Indonesia:


 * 2009 - Satyalancana Wira Karya

By the province of East Java:


 * 2021 - Jer Basuki Mawa Beya Golden Badge