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Weightlifting has been around in human history for thousands of years and is among the oldest known sports. The modern version of the sport, the one that employs the use of barbells, came into existence in the late 19th century. read more
 "Weightlifting - history, rules, defending champions")
India's Saikhom Mirabai Chanu had won silver in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the women's 49kg category and will hope to go one step further and win gold in the Paris Games. Reuters
Weightlifting has been around for thousands of years and is among the oldest known sports in human history. Part of the reason why it has been around for so long is because of it’s simplicity — the sport is literally about lifting weights, with athletes competing against one another to lift heavier loads for as long as possible.
The modern version of weightlifting originated in the late 19th century, with the first world championships taking place in 1891 in London. Edward Lawrence Levy took part in that competition and was crowned the first world champion.
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While special rocks were used in ancient times, the modern version of the sport involves the lifting of barbells — exercise equipment that comprises a long bar with weights attached at either end.
What is weightlifting’s history at Olympics?
Weightlifting was part of the inaugural edition of the Modern Olympic Games in Athens and would return in the 1904 Games in St Louis, but was excluded from the 1900, 1908 and 1912 Games. It was reintroduced in Antwerp, 1920 and has been part of the Olympic programme ever since.
Women’s weightlifting would be introduced in Sydney 2000 — the edition in which India’s Karnam Malleswari won bronze, becoming the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal.
The erstwhile Soviet Union (USSR) remains the most successful nation as far as weightlifting in the Olympics is concerned with a total of 62 medals — 39 gold, 21 silver and 2 bronze. Since the USSR’s dissolution in 1991, Russia has won 17 medals — 4 gold, 7 silver and 6 bronze.
China has quickly caught-up with USSR’s medal count in recent years and currently are level with 62 medals — 38 gold, 16 silver and 8 bronze.
What are the rules?
Since the 1976 Games in Montreal, Olympic weightlifting consists of two lifts — Snatch and Clean and Jerk. Snatch requires the weightlifter to lift the barbell from the floor and hoist it above his/her head in one movement. Clean and Jerk, on the other hand, is a two-stage action wherein the bar is first brought up to the shoulders before being jerked over the head.
Competitors get three lifts in each category, with the best result in each lift being combined for the overall score. The athlete with the highest score is adjudged the winner.
Who are the reigning champions?
Men
61kg: Li Fabin, China.
67kg: Chen Lijun, China.
73kg: Shi Zhiyong, China.
81kg: Lu Xiaojun, China.
96kg: Fares Ibrahim, Qatar.
109kg: Akbar Djuraev, Uzbekistan.
+109kg: Lasha Talakhadze, Georgia.
Women
49kg: Hou Zhihui, China.
55kg: Hidilyn Diaz, Philippines.
59kg: Kuo Hsing-chun, Taiwan.
64kg: Maude Charron, Canada.
76kg: Neisi Dajomes, Ecuador.
87kg: Wang Zhouyu, China.
+87kg: Li Wenwen, China.
How many athletes have qualified in weightlifting?
A total of 122 athletes have qualified for the weightlifting competition from 57 nations.
Who are the athletes to watch in weightlifting?
Hampton Morris, United States: At 20, the Marietta, Georgia, native will be the youngest American weightlifter to compete at the Olympics since Cheryl Haworth in 2000. Morris broke the clean and jerk 61-kilogram world record by lifting 388 pounds (176 kilograms) at a World Cup event in Thailand earlier this year.
Lasha Talakhadze, Georgia: Having set 26 world records over the course of his career, the 30-year-old back-to-back Olympic champion in the heaviest weight class is returning to try for a three-peat. He’s back after missing the European championships earlier this year because of a knee injury.
Maude Charron, Canada: The 64kg gold medalist in Tokyo is again one of the top contenders, now in the 59kg division. The 31-year-old from Quebec is just one of five Canadians — men or women — to win an Olympic medal in the sport.
Yekta Jamali, Refugee Team: From Iran initially, she fled to Germany two years ago because she faced discrimination for being a woman in the sport. A world junior silver medalist, Jamali is not even 19 yet and hopes to win a medal as part of the IOC Refugee Team.
When and where will weightlifting take place at Paris Olympics?
The weightlifting competition will take place at the South Paris Arena between 7 to 11 August. Here’s the full schedule:
7 August: Men’s 61kg and women’s 49kg
8 August: Women’s 59kg and men’s 73kg
9 August: Men’s 89kg and women’s 71kg
10 August: Men’s 102kg, women’s 81kg and men’s +102kg
11 August: Women’s +81kg
With inputs from AP
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English (US) ·