Finnish weightlifter celebrates before passing out and falling off stage

Milko Olavi Tokola, of Finland, falls off the stage as he is leaving after completing a lift during the men's 85kg weightlifting competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Photo / AP

It was going to take all of his concentration and a good deal of strength to pull this one off, yet for one weightlifting competitor at the Rio Olympics, lifting the weights was the easy part.

Milko Olavi Tokola, of Finland was so overjoyed at his performance in the men's 175kg weightlifting competition he ended up collapsing to the ground and falling off stage.

After lifting weights that most of us would simply collapse under, holding an enormous 175kg above his head, he became virtually delirious at his personal success.

Raising his fists in the air in triumph, everything seemed just fine until he got up to walk off the platform. It should have been the easiest part of all, but instead, he fell to the floor and went head over heels.

The weightlifter had to be helped back to his feet by his coaching team.

Doctors say the strongman likely ended up fainting because of the tremendous exertion he had placed on his body to lift the huge weights.

Strong and sudden efforts can sometimes causes blood pressure to momentarily drop sending athletes crashing to the floor.

'It happens sometimes, but that was the first time for a while,' Tokola said cheerily afterwards.

'I have a problem where sometimes when I give 120 per cent I pass out. It's when I put my body through too much in that moment.

'Doctors have investigated and they think maybe it's to do with blood levels in the brain when I lift heavyweights,' the Finn added.

Tokola, who was making his first Olympic appearance, notched 145kg in the snatch for a combined total of 320 to lie ninth after the Group B event in the men's 85kg.

'I don't remember anything about the fall but I have a little bit of a headache now, said Tokola, who is due to get married in two weeks.

Spectators gasped as Tokola tumbled.

His coaching team rushed to his aid and were able to get him on his feet within a minute, leading the dazed lifter back on stage.

'Even though it will have been on TV, I don't feel any embarrassment because I won't see it, so I don't care,' he said.

'I'm an Olympic athlete now and I'm so happy.'