Olympic weightlifting
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Olympic weightlifting, also called Olympic-style weightlifting or weightlifting, is a sport in which participants attempt a maximum weight single lift of a barbell loaded with weight plates.
The two lifts competed are the clean and jerk and the snatch. Clean and press was another weightlifting technique, discontinued due to difficulties in judging proper form.
The compound word "weightlifting" is also often used to refer to weight training.
In comparison with powerlifting 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 faster and with more mobility, because of a greater range of motion during the lifts. However, parts of the lift, especially in the clean and jerk, do test for absolute strength, as power is not an issue in executing that part of the lift.
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.
Contents |
[edit] Competition
The competitive sport is controlled by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF). Based in Budapest, it was founded in 1905.
Competitors compete in one of eight (seven for women) divisions determined by their body mass. These classes are: men's: 56 kg (123 lb), 62 kg (137 lb), 69 kg (152 lb), 77 kg (170 lb), 85 kg (187 lb), 94 kg (207 lb), 105 kg (231 lb), and over 105 kg; and women's: 48 kg (106 lb), 53 kg (117 lb), 58 kg (128 lb), 63 kg (139 lb), 69 kg (152 lb), 75 kg (165 lb), and over 75 kg.[1] 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 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 and each lifter can have a maximum of three lifts, regardless of whether lifts are successful or not.[1]
The title "best lifter" is commonly awarded at local competitions. The award is based on the lifters' Sinclair Coefficients, which calculate strength-to-weight ratio of the lifters.[2] 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.
[edit] See also
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Olympic weightlifting |
 |
Look up olympic weightlifting in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
- World Weightlifting Championships
- Weightlifting at the Summer Olympics
- List of world records in olympic weightlifting
- List of olympic records in weightlifting
- List of olympic medalists in weightlifting
- List of American weightlifters
- Paralympic powerlifting
[edit] References
- ^ a b "IWF Technical and Competition Rules" (PDF). International Weightlifting Federation. http://www.iwf.net/doc/Technical&CompRules2009-2012.pdf. Retrieved 2009-08-10.
- ^ "The Sinclair Coefficients for the Olympiad". International Weightlifting Federation. http://www.iwf.net/iwf/weightlifting_sport/sinclair.php. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
