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Weightlifting, also called Olympic weightlifting
Weightlifting at the Summer Olympics

Weightlifting has been contested at every Summer Olympic Games since the 1920 Summer Olympics, as well as twice before then. It debuted at the 1896 Summer Olympics, in Athens, Greece, and was also an event at the 1904 Summer Olympics....
 or Olympic-style weightlifting, is a sport in which participants attempt a maximum weight single lift of a barbell loaded with weight plates. The two lifts currently competed are the clean and jerk
Clean and jerk

The clean and jerk is one of two current Olympic Games weightlifting events . It is a highly technical lift that is known as "the king of lifts" because more weight can be lifted above one's head as compared to any other known weightlifting technique....
 and the snatch
Snatch (weightlifting)

The snatch is one of the two current Olympic Games Weightlifting events . The essence of the event is to lift a barbell from the platform to locked arms overhead in a smooth continuous movement....
.






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Weightlifting
Weightlifting, also called Olympic weightlifting
Weightlifting at the Summer Olympics

Weightlifting has been contested at every Summer Olympic Games since the 1920 Summer Olympics, as well as twice before then. It debuted at the 1896 Summer Olympics, in Athens, Greece, and was also an event at the 1904 Summer Olympics....
 or Olympic-style weightlifting, is a sport in which participants attempt a maximum weight single lift of a barbell loaded with weight plates. The two lifts currently competed are the clean and jerk
Clean and jerk

The clean and jerk is one of two current Olympic Games weightlifting events . It is a highly technical lift that is known as "the king of lifts" because more weight can be lifted above one's head as compared to any other known weightlifting technique....
 and the snatch
Snatch (weightlifting)

The snatch is one of the two current Olympic Games Weightlifting events . The essence of the event is to lift a barbell from the platform to locked arms overhead in a smooth continuous movement....
. The compound word "weightlifting" is also often used to refer to weight training
Weight training

Weight training is a common type of strength training for developing the physical strength and size of skeletal muscles. It uses the force of gravity to oppose the force generated by muscle through Muscle contraction#Concentric contraction or Muscle contraction#Eccentric contraction....
. Clean and press
Clean and press

The clean and press is a weight training exercise, and was part of the sport of weightlifting in the Olympic Games until 1972. It was removed from Olympic weightlifting due to difficulties in judging proper technique....
 was another weightlifting technique, discontinued due to difficulties in judging proper form. In comparison with powerlifting
Powerlifting

Powerlifting is a strength sport, consisting of three events: the squat , the bench press, and the deadlift. Powerlifting resembles the sport of weightlifting, as both disciplines involve lifting heavy weights in three attempts....
 which tests limit strength (with or without lifting aids), weightlifting tests ballistic limits (explosive strength) with smaller weights such that the lifts must be executed more quickly and with more mobility because of a greater range of motion during the lifts. While there are relatively few competitive Olympic lifters, the lifts and their components are commonly used by elite athletes to train for explosive and functional strength.

Requirements of weightlifting


Weightlifting requires a combination of power (strength and speed), technique, flexibility and consistency. A weightlifter's strength comes primarily from the legs, specifically the muscles of the quadriceps and posterior chain
Posterior chain

The posterior chain is a group of muscles, tendons and ligaments on the posterior kinetic chain of the body. Examples of these muscles include the biceps femoris, gluteus maximus, erector spinae muscle group, trapezius, posterior deltoids, and so on....
, and secondarily the back, anterior core, and shoulders as well as all round ratio development. Weightlifting is a full body activity including even the minor muscles, but these muscles receive emphasis over the others within the body. Weightlifters need not necessarily be heavy, as they compete by weight classes.

Competition


The competitive sport is controlled by the International Weightlifting Federation
International Weightlifting Federation

The International Weightlifting Federation , headquartered in Budapest, is the international governing body for the sport of weightlifting. The IWF was founded in 1905, and currently has 167 member nations....
 (IWF). Based in Budapest
Budapest

Budapest is the Capitals of Hungary of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it serves as the country's principal political, cultural, commerce, Industry, and transportation center and is considered an important hub in Central Europe....
, it was founded in 1905.

Competitors compete in one of eight (seven for women) divisions determined by their body mass. These classes are currently: men's: 56 kg
Kilogram

The kilogram or kilogrammeThe spelling kilogram is used by the International Committee for Weights and Measures and the U.S....
 (123.5 lb
Pound (mass)

The pound or pound-mass is a Units of measurement of massused in the Imperial unit, United States customary units and other systems of measurement....
), 62 kg (136.7 lb), 69 kg (152.1 lb), 77 kg (169.8 lb), 85 kg (187.4 lb), 94 kg (207.2 lb), 105 kg (231.5 lb) and 105+ kg, and women's: 48kg (105.8 lb.), 53 kg (116.8 lb), 58 kg (127.8 lb), 63 kg (138.9 lb), 69 kg (152.1 lb), 75 kg (165.3 lb), and 75+ kg. In each weight division, competitors compete in both the snatch and clean and jerk, and prizes are usually given for the heaviest weights lifted in the snatch, clean and jerk, and the two combined.

The order of the competition is up to the lifters—the competitor who chooses to attempt the lowest weight
Weight

In the physical sciences, weight is a measurement of the gravitational force acting on an object. Near the surface of the Earth, the Earth's gravity is approximately constant; this means that an object's weight is roughly proportional to its mass....
 goes first. If they are unsuccessful at that weight, they have the option of reattempting that lift or trying a heavier weight later (after any other competitors have made attempts at that weight or any intermediate weights). Weights are set in 1 kilogram increments (previously 2.5 kg increments), and each lifter can have a maximum of three lifts, regardless of whether lifts are successful or not.

The title "best lifter" is commonly awarded at local competitions. The award is based on the lifters' Sinclair Coefficients
Sinclair Coefficients

The Sinclair Coefficients are a means to compare different weight classes in Olympic Games weightlifting.There are eight bodyweight categories for male Sportsperson: 56 kg, 62 kg, 69 kg, 77 kg, 85 kg, 94 kg, 105 kg and +105 kg, and seven for female athletes: 48 kg, 53 kg, 58 kg, 63 kg, 69 kg, 75 kg and +75 kg....
, which calculate strength-to-weight ratio of the lifters. Typically, the winner of the heaviest weight class will have lifted the most weight, but a lifter in a lighter weight class will have lifted more in proportion to his bodyweight.

Notable weightlifters

  • Naim Süleymanoglu
    Naim Süleymanoglu

    Naim S?leymanoglu , formerly known as Naim Suleimanov , is a Turkey World and Olympic Champion in weightlifting. He won three Olympic Championships, seven World Championships and six European Championships and earned 46 world records....
     (Turkey) - 46 world records, Olympic gold (1988, 1992, 1996)
  • Norbert Schemansky
    Norbert Schemansky

    Norbert Schemansky was an Olympic Games weightlifting for the United States. Schemansky was the first weightlifter to earn four Olympic medals, despite missing the 1956 Summer Olympics due to back problems....
     (United States) - Olympic gold (1952), silver (1948), bronze (1960, 1964)
  • Tommy Kono
    Tommy Kono

    Tamio "Tommy" Kono was a U.S. weightlifting in the 1950s and 1960s. Kono is the only lifter to have set world records in four different weightlifting classes: lightweight , middleweight , light-heavyweight , and middle-heavyweight ....
     (United States) - 26 world records, Olympic gold (1952, 1956), Olympic silver (1960)
  • Yury Vlasov
    Yury Vlasov

    For the Ukrainian freestyle swimmer see Yuriy VlasovYury Petrovich Vlasov is a former Olympic Games heavyweight weightlifting for the Soviet Union, a writer and a politician....
     (USSR) - 29 world records, Olympic gold (1960), silver (1964)
  • Waldemar Baszanowski
    Waldemar Baszanowski

    Waldemar Romuald Baszanowski is a former Poland Weightlifting. He took part in four Olympic Games . Baszanowski is a two-time Olympic champion, winning gold in 1964 Summer Olympics and in 1968 Summer Olympics), both in the lightweight category....
      (Poland) - Olympic gold (1964, 1968)
  • Vasiliy Alekseyev
    Vasiliy Alekseyev

    Vasily Ivanovich Alekseyev is a former competitor from the Soviet Union, who may be considered the greatest super-heavyweight weightlifting of all time....
     (USSR) - 80 world records, Olympic gold (1972, 1976)
  • Jaan Talts
    Jaan Talts

    Jaan Talts is a former Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic weightlifting and Olympic champion who competed for the Soviet Union.He was born in Massiaru, Laiksaare, P?rnumaa....
     (USSR) - 43 world records, Olympic gold (1972), silver (1968)
  • Leonid Taranenko
    Leonid Taranenko

    File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1986-0706-018, Leonid Taranenko.jpgLeonid Arkadevich Taranenko is a former Soviet Union weightlifter.Taranenko trained at Voluntary Sports Societies of the USSR Uradzhai in Minsk....
     (USSR) - Olympic gold (1980), silver (1992)
  • Yurik Vardanian
    Yurik Vardanian

    Yurik Norairovich Vardanian is a former Olympic Games weightlifting for the Soviet Union. He trained at Lokomotiv in Leninakan.Vardanyan won the gold medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics, becoming the world's first weightlifter to achieve 400 point totals in 82.5 kg weight category....
     (Armenia) - Olympic gold (1980), light-heavyweight record holder since 1980
  • Ronny Weller
    Ronny Weller

    Ronny Weller is a Germany weightlifting who competed for East Germany and later for Germany.During the 1990s, he was three times world champion, and broke world records 11 times....
     (Germany, East Germany) - Olympic gold (1992), silver (1996, 2000), bronze (1988)
  • Kakhi Kakhiashvili
    Kakhi Kakhiashvili

    Kakhi Kakhiashvili , a Georgia -Greeks weightlifter, is one of only four weightlifters to have won three consecutive gold medals at Olympic Games....
     (Greece) - Olympic gold (1992, 1996, 2000)
  • Nikolay Pechalov
    Nikolay Pechalov

    Nikolay Pechalov is Olympic Games and World champion in weightlifting. In first part of his career he competed under Bulgarian flag, but later moved to Croatia which he represented internationally....
     (Bulgaria, Croatia)- Olympic gold (2000), silver (1992), bronze (1996, 2004)
  • Pyrros Dimas
    Pyrros Dimas

    Pyrros Dimas is a Greeks Weightlifting and three-time Olympic Games champion....
     (Greece) - Olympic gold (1992, 1996, 2000), Olympic bronze (2004)
  • Andrei Chemerkin
    Andrei Chemerkin

    Andrey Chemerkin is a former Russia weightlifting....
     (Russia) - Olympic gold (1996), Olympic bronze (2000)
  • Halil Mutlu
    Halil Mutlu

    Halil Mutlu is a Turkey World and Olympic Games Champion in weightlifting. He is one of only four weightlifters to have won three consecutive gold medals at Olympic Games....
     (Turkey) - 25 world records, Olympic gold (1996, 2000, 2004)
  • Galabin Boevski
    Galabin Boevski

    Galabin Boevski is a Bulgarian weightlifting. He was born in Knezha, and was both World Champion and Olympic Champion. He was later suspended for eight years after failing drug tests....
     (Bulgaria) - Olympic gold (2000), current and all time 69 kg world record holder, and current best record lifter
  • Tara Nott
    Tara Nott

    Not to be confused with Terranaut.Tara Nott was an Olympic Games weightlifting for the United States. She is the only athlete to have trained for three different sports at the United States Olympic Training Center ....
     (United States) - Olympic gold (2000)
  • Hossein Rezazadeh
    Hossein Rezazadeh

    Hossein Rezazadeh is an Iranian former weightlifter and the current world record holder in the sport....
     (Iran) - current super-heavyweight Olympic and world record holder, Olympic gold (2000, 2004)
  • Chen Yanqing
    Chen Yanqing

    Chen Yanqing is a PR China weightlifting who competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics and the 2008 Summer Olympics. She won the gold medal in the 58 kg class in both competitions,, making her the first woman to win gold medals in weightlifting in two consecutive Olympics.....
     (China) - Olympic gold 58 kg (2004, 2008) - current olympic record holder (148kg clean and jerk, 126 kg snatch, tot 244kg)
  • Mikhail Koklyaev
    Mikhail Koklyaev

    Mikhail Koklyaev is the six time Russian National Weightlifting champion. He won the second place at the IFSA Strongman World 2-Man Championship, in Vilnius, Lithuania in 2007...
     - (Russia) - Competed in 1996 Olympic Games


Records

The total record in the men's 56 kg class is 305 kg; in the 105+ kg class it is 472.5 kg.

The current official record for the clean and jerk in the men's 105+ kg class is held by Hossein Rezazadeh
Hossein Rezazadeh

Hossein Rezazadeh is an Iranian former weightlifter and the current world record holder in the sport....
 of Iran
Iran

Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran and formerly known internationally as Persian Empire until 1935, is a country in Central Eurasia, located on the northeastern shore of the Persian Gulf and the southern shore of the Caspian Sea....
, who clean and jerked 263.5 kg (580.9 lb) at the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics. He snatched 213.0 kg (469.6 lb) in September 2003 at Qinhuangdao
Qinhuangdao

Qinhuangdao is a city in Hebei province, People's Republic of China. It is about 300 km east of Beijing, on the Bohai Sea, the innermost gulf of the Yellow Sea....
. Rezazadeh scored a record total of 472.5 kg at both the 2000 Sydney Olympics and 2004 Athens Olympics. The current record for the clean and jerk in the women's 75+ kg class is held by Jang Mi-Ran
Jang Mi-Ran

Jang Mi-Ran is a female South Korea Weightlifting.She competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics, and won the silver medal in the over 75 kg competition, with a total of 302.5 kg....
 of South Korea
South Korea

South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea , ), often referred to as Korea and the "names of Korea#Revival of the names", is a Semi-presidential system republic in East Asia, located in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula....
, who lifted 186 kg (410.07 lb) at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.

Due to the restructuring of the competitive weight classes that took place in 1993 and 1998, the following lifts are no longer recognized as the official world records. However, these remain the highest figures ever posted in competition. Yevgeny Sypko lifted in the Druzhba Cup Meet, on March 4, 1990, at 130.65 kg and snatched 216.5kg (477.3 lb), the highest competitive snatch in history, although it is not recognized as a world record because the meet wasn't officially drug tested. However, it did count as a Soviet Record. The heaviest official snatch of all time is 216.0 kg (476.2 lb), lifted by Antonio Krastev of Bulgaria
Bulgaria

The state of Bulgaria , Scientific transliteration Balgarija, officially the Republic of Bulgaria has played a significant role in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe for over fourteen centuries....
 in 1987. That year Antonio's training produced a world record exceeding snatch of 222.5kg (490.5 lb). The heaviest clean and jerk of all time is 266.0 kg (586.4 lb) lifted by Leonid Taranenko
Leonid Taranenko

File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1986-0706-018, Leonid Taranenko.jpgLeonid Arkadevich Taranenko is a former Soviet Union weightlifter.Taranenko trained at Voluntary Sports Societies of the USSR Uradzhai in Minsk....
 in Canberra
Canberra

Canberra is the List of Australian capital cities of Australia. With a population of over 340,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth largest Australian city overall....
, Australia
Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
 on November 26, 1988. In the same event, Taranenko set a world record of 475 kg (1047.2 lb) in the total.

See also

  • Strength athletics
    Strength athletics

    Strength athletics, more generally known as Strongman competitions, is a sport which tests competitors' strength in a variety of different ways....
  • List of American weightlifters
    List of American weightlifters

    A * Paul Edward Anderson...
  • List of Olympic records in weightlifting
    List of Olympic records in weightlifting

    This is the list of Olympic records in weightlifting. Records are maintained in each weight class for the snatch lift, clean and jerk lift, and the total for both lifts....


External links