View source for Leonid Taranenko

{{short description|Soviet weightlifter}}
{{BLP sources|date=August 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| image = Leonid Taranenko (URS) Moscow 1980.jpg
| caption = Taranenko at [[Weightlifting at the 1980 Summer Olympics – Men's 110 kg|1980 Moscow Olympics]]
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1956|6|13}}
| birth_place = [[Malaryta]], [[Byelorussian SSR]], [[Soviet Union]]
| medaltemplates = 
{{MedalSport|Men's [[Weightlifting at the Summer Olympics|weightlifting]]}}
{{MedalCountry|the {{URS}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1980 Summer Olympics|1980 Moscow]]|[[Weightlifting at the 1980 Summer Olympics – Men's 110 kg|110 kg]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[World Weightlifting Championships]]}}
{{MedalBronze|1979 Saloniki|110 kg}}
{{MedalGold|1980 Moscow|110 kg}}
{{MedalSilver|1987 Ostrava|+110 kg}}
{{MedalGold|1990 Budapest|+110 kg}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[European Weightlifting Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold|1980 Beograd|110 kg}}
{{MedalSilver|1985 Katowice|+110 kg}}
{{MedalSilver|1986 Karl-Marx-Stadt|+110 kg}}
{{MedalGold|1988 Cardiff|+110 kg}}
{{MedalBronze|1990 Aalborg|+110 kg}}
{{MedalGold|1991 Wladyslawowo|+110 kg}}
{{MedalCompetition|USSR Weightlifting Championships}}
{{MedalBronze|1977 Ratov Na Donu|110 kg}}
{{MedalGold|1979 Leningrad|110 kg}}
{{MedalGold|1983 Moscow|110 kg}}
{{MedalGold|1987 Arkhangelsk|+110 kg}}
{{MedalBronze|1989 Frunze|+110 kg}}
{{MedalCompetition|Summer Spartakiad of the Soviet Union}}
{{MedalGold|1979 Leningrad|110 kg}}
{{MedalGold|1983 Moscow|110 kg}}
{{MedalCompetition|Cup of the Soviet Union}}
{{MedalGold|1981 Donetsk|110 kg}}
{{MedalGold|1982 Moscow|110 kg}}
{{MedalGold|1986 Lipetsk|+110 kg}}
{{MedalCountry|the {{flagIOC|EUN|1992 Summer}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[1992 Summer Olympics|1992 Barcelona]]|[[Weightlifting at the 1992 Summer Olympics – Men's +110 kg|+110 kg]]}}
{{MedalCountry|{{BLR}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[European Weightlifting Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold|1996 Stavanger|+108 kg}}
}}

'''Leonid Arkadevich Taranenko''' ({{langx|ru|Леонид Аркадьевич Тараненко}}, born June 13, 1956) is a former [[Soviet Union|Soviet]]/[[Belarusians|Belarusian]] [[Olympic weightlifting|weightlifter]] and coach.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.iwrp.net/component/cwyniki/?view=contestant&id_zawodnik=6159 |title=IWRP Profile |access-date=30 October 2015 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304064628/http://www.iwrp.net/component/cwyniki/?view=contestant&id_zawodnik=6159 |url-status=live}}</ref> His 266&nbsp;kg clean and jerk in 1988 was the heaviest lift in competition for 33 years,<ref name="srwl">{{cite web |url=https://strengthrecord.com/weightlifting-world-records/ |title=STRENGTH RECORD, Weightlifting World Records |website=www.strengthrecord.com |access-date=15 April 2025}}</ref> until [[Lasha Talakhadze]] exceeded it, lifting 267 at the [[2021 World Weightlifting Championships]].

== Weightlifting career ==
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1986-0706-018, Leonid Taranenko.jpg|left|thumb|Taranenko in 1986]]
Taranenko trained at [[Voluntary Sports Societies of the Soviet Union|VSS]] Uradzhai in [[Minsk]]. His first major success took place at the [[1980 Summer Olympics|1980 Olympics]], when, competing for the [[Soviet Union]], he won the [[gold medal]] in the 110 kilogram class with a 422.5&nbsp;kg total.<ref>{{cite Sports-Reference |title=Leonid Taranenko |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ta/leonid-taranenko-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161204015402/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ta/leonid-taranenko-1.html |archive-date=4 December 2016}}</ref>

He was unable to compete in the [[1984 Summer Olympics|1984 Olympics]] in [[Los Angeles]] due to the Soviet boycott, but competed in the 1984 [[Friendship Games]], where he won the 110&nbsp;kg class with a world record total of 442.5&nbsp;kg, exceeding the winning total in [[Los Angeles]] (by [[Norberto Oberburger]]) by 52.5&nbsp;kg.

After this, Taranenko moved up to the super-heavyweight class. Lifting in [[Canberra]], [[Australia]] on November 26, 1988, he set a world record of 266&nbsp;kg in the [[clean and jerk]], and 476&nbsp;kg in the total, having lifted 210&nbsp;kg in the snatch.

While these results are no longer recognized as official world records due to subsequent restructuring of the competitive weight classes (in 1993, 1998 and 2018), as of 2019, his 266&nbsp;kg clean and jerk remained the highest ever achieved in competition till broken December 2021 by Lasha Talakhadze’s 267&nbsp;kg, while his total of 476&nbsp;kg remained the highest ever achieved until broken by [[Lasha Talakhadze]] of Georgia at the [[2019 World Weightlifting Championships]] while also setting the new clean and jerk record of 264&nbsp;kg for the restructured weight classes. He achieved this by breaking [[Hossein Rezazadeh]]'s world record from [[2004 Summer Olympics]] in Athens for 263.5&nbsp;kg.

In 1992, Taranenko represented the [[Unified Team at the Olympics|Unified Team]] at the [[1992 Summer Olympics|Olympics]] in [[Barcelona]]. He took the [[silver medal]] in the super-heavyweight class with a total of 425&nbsp;kg.

Taranenko's other victories include the 110&nbsp;kg class titles at the 1980 World and European championships, and super-heavyweight titles at the 1990 World championship and 1988, 1991, and 1996 European championships.

Taranenko has served as a coach for female weightlifters in India.

In 2017, Taranenko admitted having used performance-enhancing drugs.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://m.sports.ru/heavyathletics/1054206003.html? |title=Чемпион Москвы-1980 Леонид Тараненко: "Не буду кричать, что мы поднимали исключительно на сале и черной икре" |date=5 August 2017 |access-date=13 July 2020 |archive-date=15 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200715030319/https://m.sports.ru/heavyathletics/1054206003.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Career bests ===
* [[Snatch (weightlifting)|Snatch]]: 210&nbsp;kg in the class over 110&nbsp;kg
* [[Clean and jerk]]: 266&nbsp;kg (No longer an official [[List of world records in Olympic weightlifting|world record]] due to restructuring of weight classes)
* Total: 442.5&nbsp;kg (200 + 242.5) 1984 at the [[Weightlifting at the Friendship Games|Friendship Games]] in Varna, Bulgaria, 110&nbsp;kg class
* Total: 476&nbsp;kg (210 + 266), at Canberra, Australia on November 26, 1988, 110+&nbsp;kg class.
* [[Back Squat]]: 380&nbsp;kg with a two-second pause at the bottom
* [[Front Squat]]: 300&nbsp;kg for three reps
* [[Clean and Press|Olympic Press]]: 230&nbsp;kg
<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chidlovski.net/liftup/l_galleryResult.asp?a_id=268 |title=Leonid Taranenko |publisher=Lift Up |accessdate=27 July 2009 |archive-date=25 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090425124220/http://www.chidlovski.net/liftup/l_galleryResult.asp?a_id=268 |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dynamicfitnessequipment.com/sportivny/library/news/nv005.html |title=Leonid Taranenko Interview}}</ref>

==Major result==

{|class = "wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! rowspan=2 width=40|Year
! rowspan=2 width=250|Venue
! rowspan=2 width=60|Weight
!colspan=4| Snatch (kg)
!colspan=4| Clean & Jerk (kg)
!rowspan=2 width=40| Total
!rowspan=2 width=40| Rank
|-
! width=40|1
! width=40|2
! width=40|3
! width=40|Rank
! width=40|1
! width=40|2
! width=40|3
! width=40|Rank
|-
! colspan=13|[[Weightlifting at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]
|-
|[[Weightlifting at the 1980 Summer Olympics|1980]] || align=left| {{flag icon|URS}} [[Moscow]], [[Soviet Union]] || [[Weightlifting at the 1980 Summer Olympics – Men's 110 kg|110 kg]] ||<s>182.5</s>||'''182.5'''||<s>190</s>||2||220||235||'''240'''||1||'''422.5'''||'''{{Gold1}}'''
|-
|[[Weightlifting at the 1992 Summer Olympics|1992]] || align=left| {{flag icon|ESP}} [[Barcelona]], [[Spain]] || [[Weightlifting at the 1992 Summer Olympics – Men's +110 kg|+110 kg]] ||<s>187.5</s>||'''187.5'''||--||2||232.5||'''237.5'''||<s>242.5</s>||2||'''425'''||'''{{Silver2}}'''
|-
|[[Weightlifting at the 1996 Summer Olympics|1996]] || align=left| {{flag icon|USA}} [[Atlanta]], [[United States]] || [[Weightlifting at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's +108 kg|+108 kg]] ||--||--||--||--||--||--||--||--||--||--
|-
! colspan=13|[[World Weightlifting Championships|World Championships]]
|-
|[[1979 World Weightlifting Championships|1979]] || align=left| {{flag icon|GRE}} [[Thessaloniki]], [[Greece]] ||110&nbsp;kg || ||175||182.5||'''{{Silver2}}'''||'''220'''||||||5||'''402.5'''||'''{{Bronze3}}'''
|-
|[[1980 World Weightlifting Championships|1980]] || align=left| {{flag icon|URS}} [[Moscow]], [[Soviet Union]] ||110&nbsp;kg ||<s>182.5</s>||'''182.5'''||<s>190</s>||'''{{Silver2}}'''||220||235||'''240'''||'''{{Gold1}}'''||'''422.5'''||'''{{Gold1}}'''
|-
|[[1985 World Weightlifting Championships|1985]] || align=left| {{flag icon|SWE}} [[Södertälje]], [[Sweden]] ||+110&nbsp;kg ||'''185'''||||||'''{{Bronze3}}'''||'''232.5'''||||||5||'''417.5'''||'''4'''
|-
|[[1986 World Weightlifting Championships|1986]] || align=left| {{flag icon|BUL}} [[Sofia]], [[Bulgaria]] ||+110&nbsp;kg ||'''200'''||||||'''{{Silver2}}'''||||||||--||--||--
|-
|[[1987 World Weightlifting Championships|1987]] || align=left| {{flag icon|TCH}} [[Ostrava]], [[Czechoslovakia]] ||+110&nbsp;kg || ||202.5|| ||'''{{Bronze3}}'''||245||257.5||265.5||'''{{Gold1}}'''||'''467.5'''||'''{{Silver2}}'''
|-
|[[1990 World Weightlifting Championships|1990]] || align=left| {{flag icon|HUN}} [[Budapest]], [[Hungary]] ||+110&nbsp;kg ||'''195'''||||||'''{{Gold1}}'''||'''255'''||||||'''{{Gold1}}'''||'''450'''||'''{{Gold1}}'''
|-
|[[1993 World Weightlifting Championships|1993]] || align=left| {{flag icon|AUS}} [[Melbourne]], [[Australia]] ||+108&nbsp;kg ||185||'''190'''||<s>195</s>||4||'''232.5'''||<s>242.5</s>||--||5||'''422.5'''||'''4'''
|-
! colspan=13|[[European Weightlifting Championships|European Championships]]
|-
|[[1980 European Weightlifting Championships|1980]] || align=left| {{flagicon|YUG}} [[Belgrade]], [[Yugoslavia]] ||110&nbsp;kg||'''190'''||||||'''{{Gold1}}'''||'''230'''||||||'''{{Gold1}}'''||'''420'''||'''{{Gold1}}'''
|-
|[[1985 European Weightlifting Championships|1985]] || align=left| {{flagicon|POL}} [[Katowice]], [[Poland]] ||+110&nbsp;kg||'''185'''||||||'''{{Silver2}}'''||'''230'''||||||'''{{Gold1}}'''||'''415'''||'''{{Silver2}}'''
|-
|[[1986 European Weightlifting Championships|1986]] || align=left| {{flagicon|East Germany}} [[Karl-Marx-Stadt]], [[East Germany]] ||+110&nbsp;kg||'''195'''||||||'''{{Silver2}}'''||'''242.5'''||||||'''{{Gold1}}'''||'''437.5'''||'''{{Silver2}}'''
|-
|[[1988 European Weightlifting Championships|1988]] || align=left| {{flagicon|UK}} [[Cardiff]], [[United Kingdom]] ||+110&nbsp;kg||'''207.5'''||||||'''{{Gold1}}'''||'''255'''||||||'''{{Silver2}}'''||'''462.5'''||'''{{Gold1}}'''
|-
|[[1990 European Weightlifting Championships|1990]] || align=left| {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Ålborg]], [[Denmark]] ||+110&nbsp;kg||'''205'''||||||'''{{Silver2}}'''||'''247.5'''||||||'''{{Bronze3}}'''||'''452.5'''||'''{{Bronze3}}'''
|-
|[[1991 European Weightlifting Championships|1991]] || align=left| {{flagicon|POL}} [[Władysławowo]], [[Poland]] ||+110&nbsp;kg||'''200'''||||||'''{{Gold1}}'''||'''247.5'''||||||'''{{Gold1}}'''||'''447.5'''||'''{{Gold1}}'''
|-
|[[1996 European Weightlifting Championships|1996]] || align=left| {{flagicon|NOR}} [[Stavanger]], [[Norway]] ||+108&nbsp;kg||<s>180</s>||180||'''182.5'''||'''{{Silver2}}'''||220||227.5||'''232.5'''||'''{{Silver2}}'''||'''415'''||'''{{Gold1}}'''
|-
! colspan=13|USSR Weightlifting Championships
|-
! colspan=13|Summer Spartakiad of the Soviet Union
|-
! colspan=13|Cup of the Soviet Union
|}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.chidlovski.net/liftup/l_galleryResult.asp?a_id=268 Leonid Taranenko] at Lift Up
* {{IWRP|6159}}
* {{Olympics.com|org_archive=20190505152937}}
* {{Olympedia}}
* {{NOC Belarus|taranenko-leonid}}

{{Footer Olympic Champions Weightlifting Heavyweight}}
{{Footer World champions in weightlifting – Men's heavyweight}}
{{Footer World Champions Weightlifting Men Super heavyweight}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Taranenko, Leonid}}
[[Category:1956 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Malaryta district]]
[[Category:Soviet male weightlifters]]
[[Category:Belarusian male weightlifters]]
[[Category:Olympic weightlifters for the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Olympic weightlifters for the Unified Team]]
[[Category:Olympic weightlifters for Belarus]]
[[Category:Weightlifters at the 1980 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Weightlifters at the 1992 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Weightlifters at the 1996 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists for the Unified Team]]
[[Category:Olympic medalists in weightlifting]]
[[Category:World Weightlifting Championships medalists]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1992 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1980 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:European Weightlifting Championships medalists]]
[[Category:Honoured Masters of Sport of the USSR]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of Friendship of Peoples]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Brest region]]
[[Category:Friendship Games medalists in weightlifting]]
[[Category:20th-century Belarusian sportsmen]]