Olympic Weightlifting

Weightlifting has been an event at the Summer Olympics since 1896. Under the current Olympic structure, 15 sets of weightlifting medals are awarded, eight men's and seven women's. Athletes compete in two disciplines, snatch and clean & jerk, and medals are awarded to the top competitors in each weight class.

Fast Facts

1. Introduced: 1896
2. Summer Olympics event
3. Governed by the International Weightlifting Federation
4. Men's and women's medals are awarded based on weight class
5. 15 total medals (eight men's, seven women's)

Weightlifting at the 2008 Summer Olympics

Weightlifting competitions at the 2008 Summer Olympics were held at Beihang University Gymnasium from August 9 to August 19, 2008. The host nation of China won nine medals, including eight gold medals. Russia followed with seven total medals, four silver and three bronze, while Kazakhstan came in third with four total medals.¹

History

Although the sport of weightlifting can be traced back to ancient Egyptians and Greeks, international weightlifting competitions began in 1891.² Weightlifting was one of only nine sports at the first Summer Olympic Games held in 1896 in Athens, Greece. The 1900 Olympics did not contain a weightlifting event, but the sport reappeared at the 1904 Olympics before being removed from the program again in 1908. In 1920, weightlifting returned as a full sport and has been contested in each Summer Olympics Games since. Also in 1920, the format of the event was restructured to allow athletes to compete by weight class.

Olympic Weight Classes

• Men's 56 kg (123 lbs)³
• Men's 62 kg (137 lbs)³
• Men's 69 kg (152 lbs)³
• Men's 77 kg (170 lbs)³
• Men's 85 kg (187 lbs)³
• Men's 94 kg (207 lbs)³
• Men's 105 kg (231 lbs)³
• Men's 105+ kg (231+ lbs.)³
• Women's 48 kg (106 lbs)³
• Women's 53 kg (117 lbs)³
• Women's 58 kg (128 lbs)³
• Women's 63 kg (139 lbs)³
• Women's 69 kg (152 lbs)³
• Women's 75 kg (165 lbs)³
• Women's 75+ kg (165+ lbs)³

Related Pages on Mahalo

Weight Lifting | Olympics | Summer Olympics | Summer Olympics 2008 | US Olympic Weightlifting 2008

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