Rahmat Erwin: Indonesia’s Weightlifting Star Wins Three Silver Medals

One of Indonesia’s most popular and successful weightlifters — Rahmat Ervin Abdullah — has won three new international silver medals within the last two months. He earned them at the 2023 SEA Games in Phantom Penh, Cambodia, the 2023 IWF Grand Prix in Doha, Qatar, and the 2023 World Weightlifting Championships in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

23-year-old Rahmat kicked off his weightlifting career at a very young age, which makes sense since both his parents are former professional weightlifters as well. Debuting his career at the 2017 Youth World Weightlifting Championships, he started in the 69 kg class at 17 years of age. Since then, the star athlete has moved up to the 73 and 81 kg classes. 

He has also won gold medals at some of the biggest stages in the sport, including the Asian Games, Asian Junior Championships, and the World Weightlifting Championships. Even at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Rahmat won a bronze medal — becoming the first and only Indonesian weightlifter to win any Olympic medal in the 73 kg category. 

His three recent silver medals came in November and December of 2023. In each of these huge events, he managed to lift a total of 375 kg, second only to the Iranian champ Ali Hashemi, who successfully lifted 377 kg. Rahmat, however, broke his own record with this performance, while also equaling his weight class snatch world record with 166 kg. He broke his previous clean-and-jerk record with 209 kg. 

However, he tried and failed to lift 212 kg, which would have earned him a new world record and a gold medal. He said that while being satisfied with his performance and results, he still felt disappointed about failing to lift the 212 kg. He added that he will continue to train intensely and hopes to take home gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

Nonetheless, this new trio of silver medals is a huge achievement for not only Rahmat Erwin but Indonesian weightlifting as a whole. They have a rich and long history of producing the world’s finest athletes like Triyatno, Lisa Rumbewas, Sri Wahyuni Agustiani, and Tan Joe Hok — and Rahmat Erwin Abdullah seems to be following in their footsteps.