Weightlifting, often known as Olympic-style weightlifting, is a sport in which an athlete does a single maximum-weight lift with a barbell loaded with weight plates. The snatch and the clean and jerk are the two competition lifts in sequence. The snatch is a one-move lift with a broad grip. The clean and jerk is a two-move lift that requires a tight grip. Each weightlifter is given three tries in each category, with the agreed amount of the top two successful lifts determining the overall result. In this article, we will look at the weightlifting sport: origin, weightlifting in the Olympics, rules, equipment, types of lifts, famous weightlifters, etc.

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Weightlifting Sport: History

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The sport of weightlifting has a long history. The lifting of a particular rock was the traditional test of masculinity for many early societies. Historic Greek and Scottish castles display these manhood stones, many showing the original lifter's carved name. Modern lifters still practice this traditional sport across Germany, Switzerland, Montenegro, and Spain’s Basque region. Organizers usually name the athlete with the most consecutive lifts in a set time as the winner.

Strong men from the 18th and 19th centuries, such as Eugene Sandow and Arthur Saxon of Germany; George Hackenschmidt of Russia; and Louis Apollon of France, who performed in circuses and theaters, are the forerunners of the current weightlifting competition. In London, by 1891, there was an international rivalry.

Olympics Weightlifting

Weightlifting events were featured in the restored Olympic Games of 1896, as well as the Games of 1900 and 1904, however, these sports were then halted until 1920. The International Weightlifting Federation (Fédération Haltérophile Internationale; FHI) was founded that year, at the request of the International Olympic Committee, to standardize events and oversee the international competition.

By 1928, the previous Games’ one- and two-hand lifts had been replaced by just two-hand lifts: the snatch, clean and jerk, and clean and press (described below). In 1972, the press was shut down.

Before World War II, the top weightlifters in the Games were French, German, and Egyptian. Weightlifters from the United States dominated after the war until 1953. Following that, weightlifters from the Soviet Union and Bulgaria had a near stranglehold on world records and titles. Turkey, Greece, and China were the dominant weightlifting countries by the late 1990s. Except during the war years, world championships were held in 1922-23 and 1937, while European championships were contested from 1924 to 1936. In the year 2000, the Olympic Games included a women’s weightlifting sport.

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Weightlifting Equipment

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• Barbell: Weightlifting Equipment

  
  

The barbell is a steel bar or rod with cast-iron or steel disc weights connected at either end on a rotating sleeve used in modern competition lifting. The weights added range from 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, 2.5, and 1.25 kg (55, 44, 33, 22, 11, 5.5, and 2.75 pounds).

Men

• Length: 2.2 meters (7.2 ft)
• Weight: 20 kilograms (44 lb

• Length: 2.01 meters (6.6 ft)
• Weight: 15 kilograms (33 lb)

• Bumper plates: Weightlifting Equipment

  
  

• Collars: Weightlifting Equipments

  
  

The weight plates at the end of the bar are secured using collars. The weight of each collar is exactly 2.5 kg.

• Singlet: Weightlifting Equipments

  
  

Lifters typically wear a one-piece, close-fitting cloth often called a singlet.

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• Belt: Weightlifting Equipments

  
  

A weightlifting belt of 120 mm maximum width is often worn by athletes to increase intra-abdominal pressure.

• Chalk: Weightlifting Equipments

  
  

Lifters rub their hands with the chalk to promote dryness on the palm and prevent the bar from moving in their hands.

• Tape

  
  

• Shoes

  
  

Weightlifting Sport: Snatch, Clean, and Jerk

The snatch, clean and jerk, and press were the three international lifts from 1928 until 1968. (or clean and press). Initially, the barbell lies on the floor in all lifts. Lifts are conducted on a 4-meter (13.1-foot) square wooden platform. The lift is not authorized if a lifter steps off the platform during the lift.

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The Snatch Lift

The barbell is raised from the floor to arm’s length overhead in a single, continuous, explosive action in the snatch, with the lifter allowed to shift his feet or squat beneath the barbell before returning to an erect posture.

The Clean and Jerk Lift

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The lifter jerks the barbell overhead to arm’s length after lifting it to the shoulders, with no limits on the amount of time it takes to perform the lift or leg movements. Both lifts require the lifter to finish with their feet in line, their bodies upright, their arms and legs extended, and the barbell under control overhead. Either the lifter must hold the weight for two seconds aloft or wait for the referee’s signal before lowering the barbell back to the floor.

The press was a two-part lift as well. The lifter brings the barbell to the shoulders using the same technique as the clean and jerk, with the same foot movement allowed. The lifter then stands upright until the referee signals to complete the lift. After the signal, the lifter presses the barbell overhead in one steady, continuous motion until the arms are fully extended, without using the legs.

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Weightlifting Rules

Weightlifters receive three snatch attempts and three clean and jerk attempts. The scoring system adds the athlete’s best snatch to their best clean and jerk. The lifter with the highest total score wins the match. If two athletes lift the exact same total, the lighter weightlifter wins. In the event of the bodyweight also being equal, the one with fewer attempts will be the winner.

Weightlifters can raise the weight for their next attempt after making a successful lift. Whichever lifter chooses the lowest weight in round one goes first. Every athlete gets one minute to make their lift after the announcer calls their name.

Olympic Weightlifting: Weight categories

In summer 2018, the IWF approved the current weight categories:

Men:

• 55 kg (121 lb)
• 61 kg (134 lb)
• 67 kg (148 lb)
• 73 kg (161 lb)
• 81 kg (179 lb)
• 89 kg (196 lb)
• 96 kg (212 lb)
• 102 kg (225 lb)
• 109 kg (240 lb)
• 109 kg and over (240 lb+)

> Only five weight classes were chosen for Paris 2024: 61 kg, 73 kg, 89 kg, 102 kg and over 102 kg

Women:

• 45 kg (99 lb)
• 49 kg (108 lb)
• 55 kg (121 lb)
• 59 kg (130 lb)
• 64 kg (141 lb)
• 71 kg (157 lb)
• 76 kg (168 lb)
• 81 kg (179 lb)
• 87 kg (192 lb)
• 87 kg and over (192 lb+)

> Weight classes chosen for Paris 2024:49 kg, 59 kg, 71 kg, 81 kg and over 81 kg

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Weightlifting in India

Karnam Malleswari was the first Indian woman to earn an Olympic medal when she won bronze in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. She competed at the Asian Championships in Thailand in 1992, finishing second and winning three silver medals. She also placed third in the world championships with three bronze medals.

Khumukcham Sanjita Chanu won the gold medal in the women’s 48 kg category at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, while Mirabai Chanu earned silver. Sukhen Dey won gold in the men’s 56 kg category, Ganesh Mali took bronze, and Sathish Sivalingam won gold in the 77 kg category, totaling 328 kg with 149 kg snatch and 179 kg clean and jerk lifts. In the snatch, his lift of 149 kg set a new Games record. With 114 kg snatch and 130 kg clean and jerk lifts, Affin Varghese won the gold medal in the 57 kg division, totaling 298 kg. In the snatch, his lift of 139 kg set a new state record in the junior division. Chanu took silver in the 49 kg weightlifting event in the Tokyo Olympics.

The Indian Weightlifting Federation has its headquarters in New Delhi. The Federation is affiliated with the Indian Olympic Association (Delhi) and is also a member of the Asian Weightlifting Federation (Tehran) and the International Weightlifting Federation (Budapest).Mr. Sahdev Yadav is the current president of the Indian Weightlifting Federation.

Total medals won by Indian Weightlifters

Notable Performance at Summer Olympics by Indian Weightlifters

Famous Indian Weightlifters

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Men

• Sathish Sivalingam
• Jeremy Lalrinnunga
• Ragala Venkat Rahul
• Katulu Ravi Kumar
• Vikas Thakur
• Gurdeep Singh
• Pardeep Singh
• Deepak Lather

• Khumukcham Sanjita Chanu
• Santoshi Matsa
• Swati Singh
• Punam Yadav
• Sakina Khatun

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The clean and jerk is one of the two Olympic lifts. It’s a full-body movement that involves cleaning the barbell off the floor and then pushing or jerking it overhead.

Weightlifting is a strength sport and has been contested in every Summer Olympic Games since 1920.

>Saikhom Mirabai Chanu
>Khumukcham Sanjita Chanu
>Karnam Malleswari
>Sathish Sivalingam
>Jeremy Lalrinnunga
>Ragala Venkat Rahul
>Katulu Ravi Kumar
>Santoshi Matsa

These equipment are needed for weighlifting sport:
>Barbell
>Weights
>Collar
>Singlet
>Belt
>Shoes
>Platform