"Rizki Juniansyah must answer," were the first words out of Weightlifting House founder Seb Ostrowicz' mouth after watching Rahmat Erwin Abdullah set his latest world record — 205 kilograms in the clean & jerk — at the 2025 Asian Weightlifting Championships.
- Remind Me: At the IWF World Cup, the last-chance qualifier for the 2024 Olympics, Abdullah, who for almost two years was the helmsman of the 73-kilogram category, lost his Paris ticket to Juniansyah in a stunning upset.
Abdullah tucked tail after having his Olympic dreams dashed. He purged his social media and wasn't seen internationally until he turned in a middling performance at last December's World Weightlifting Championships.
But during the Men's 73-kilogram event on May 11, Abdullah looked like his old self again, relighting one of the sport's most exciting rivalries.
Rahmat Erwin Abdullah | 2025 Asian Weightlifting Championships
Abdullah led the field in the 73s in Jiangshan, China, the site of the Asian Weightlifting Championships. Having won the snatch gold medal with 155 on his second attempt, Abdullah declined his third — an early indicator, Seb and co-commentator Sergii Putsoff believed, that he might have his eyes on another world record.
- One-Man Show: Since 2022, Abdullah has singlehandedly pushed the 73-kilogram jerk record from 198 to 205, and also put up a record 209 in the 81-kilogram division in 2023.
Once silver medalist and hometown crowd favorite Wu Haifeng (CHN) had put away his 189-kilogram final lift, Abdullah took the stage for all three of his attempts as the last man standing.
Rahmat Erwin Abdullah (M73)
- Snatch: 150, 155, n/a
- Clean & Jerk: 190, 200, 205 | World Record
- Total: 360
Ostrowicz and Putsoff remarked on a change in Abdullah's demeanor: "He's waiting a bit longer before going into the split jerk," Seb noted. Rahmat had been known for his split-second transition during the clean & jerk for most of his career.
Juniansyah, the 2024 Olympic Champion at 73 kilograms, was not there. With the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) set to replace the sport's weight classes next month, Juniansyah has already started bulking up and will perform at Asians at 81 kilograms instead.
Rahmat vs. Rizki, Explained
Rahmat and Rizki are not rivals because they both compete in the same division or hail from Indonesia — it goes much deeper.
While countries may submit two lifters per weight class at events like the Asian Weightlifting Championships, there was only one ticket per category and country for the Olympic Games last summer.
As the frontman of the 73s since Worlds in 2022, that slot was presumed to belong to Rahmat, who had finished in first or second place at seven straight international events between Dec. 2022 and Feb. '24.
- Dark Horse: Abdullah rose to prominence at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. He snuck onto the podium, winning a bronze medal from Group B, a stealthy tactic he would employ from time to time at major international events.
Juniansyah had little to say about it. Prior to the Cup, he'd only competed once in about a year's time as he recovered from appendix surgery.
But when the pair met on stage in Phuket, Thailand, Juniansyah turned the tables in an astonishing upset. He had the meet of his life, setting a world record in the total at 365 and forcing Rahmat's hand at weights he wasn't expecting to need.
In less than three minutes, it all came crashing down.
- How It Happened: After Juniansyah made 164 kilograms in the snatch, Abdullah needed a 206-kilogram clean & jerk to out-total his teammate and guarantee his Olympic ticket. On his final attempt, Rahmat stood paralyzed with the bar on his shoulders for over 10 seconds before failing the jerk.
Watching on all fours in the warm-up area, Rizki wailed with joy after his teammate fell.
Juniansyah would go on to defeat incumbent Olympic Champion Shi Zhiyong (CHN) in Paris, but with a performance that didn't quite measure up to the glory he'd achieved by dislodging his teammate.
We don't know if Rahmat took it personally; they embraced backstage at the Cup. Abdullah went dark until the World Championships, where at 81 kilograms he finished seventh — his worst placement since 2019.
We do know, now, that Abdullah is back in top form. His performance at the Asian Championships was a warning shot; Rahmat isn't going to let it happen again.
Watch Rizki's reply live during the Men's 81-kilogram event tomorrow, May 12, on Weightlifting House TV.
