An Introduction to Weightlifting
Weightlifting is the oldest and most basic form of physical competition.. Early ‘strongman’ contests developed into the modern sport of Weightlifting during the 19th century. While it may seem deceptively easy, Weightlifting requires a combination of power, speed, technique, concentration and timing. Today, the world’s strongest men and women regularly lift more than three times their body weight. Men’s weightlifting was on the programme of the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896, in St. Louis in 1904, in Antwerp in 1920 and every Olympic Games thereafter. Women participated for the first time at the Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000.
Competition:
Lifters perform two types of lifts - the snatch and the clean and jerk. In the snatch, they lift the bar to arm’s length above their head in one movement. In the clean and jerk, they lift the bar to their shoulders, stand up straight, then jerk the bar to arm’s length above their head. Lifters are allowed three attempts at each lift, and their best snatch and best clean-and-jerk figures are added to determine the winners.
List of Events:
- 56 kg Men
- 62 kg Men
- 69 kg Men
- 77 kg Men
- 85 kg Men
- 94 kg Men
- 105 kg Men
- > 105 kg Men
- 48 kg Women
- 53 kg Women
- 58 kg Women
- 63 kg Women
- 69 kg Women
- 75 kg Women
- > 75 kg Women
Jargon Buster:
- Press out: An illegal move where the Lifter bends the arms while holding the bar overhead, then presses them out to make them straight.
- No lift: A lift that is judged to be illegal.
- Squat: To drop while bending the legs with the feet to either side.
- Hooking: A technique used to hold the bar, where the thumbs are placed around the bar and underneath the index and second fingers.
Related Websites:
International Weightlifting Federation (IWF)
Wikipedia: Weightlifting at the Summer Olympics
