Former Czechoslovak weightlifter Ota Zaremba, Olympic champion from Moscow in 1980, died at the age of 68. The Czech Weightlifting Association (ČSV) reported on his death on social networks. Zaremba he first drew attention to himself at the 1979 WC in Thessaloniki, where he won silver in the market in the category under 100 kg. He took fourth place in the duel.
A year later, in the same weight category, he unexpectedly triumphed at the Olympics (then also at the World Championships), which was his greatest career success. In 1981, he broke the world record four times and won bronze at the European Championship in 1984. “He belonged to the absolute legends of Czechoslovak weightlifting and will forever remain a part of its history,” portal isport.cz quoted from the ČSV statement.
Zaremba later struggled with health problems that forced him to end his career as an athlete. After that, he worked in a mine or glazed windows. In the mid-1990s, he had a serious car accident and was living unemployed on a partial disability pension. That’s why he also sold the Olympic gold.
