Olympic Weightlifting Fans: June 2011

Monday 20 June 2011

Weightlifting - International Weightlifting Federation

International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), headquartered in Budapest, is the international governing body for the sport of Olympic weightlifting and other competitive weightlifting. The IWF was founded in 1905, and has 187 member nations. It was originally called the Fédération Haltéphile International (FHI). But it changed its name to IWF between the 1972 and 1976 Summer Olympics. The current IWF president is Dr. Tamás Aján of Hungary.

Affiliated continental federations of IWF are:

Weightlifting Federation of Africa (WFA)
Asian Weightlifting Federation (AWF)
European Weightlifting Federation (EWF)
Oceania Weightlifting Federation (OWF)
Pan American Weightlifting Confederation (PAWC)

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Monday 13 June 2011

Weightlifting - Clean and Jerk

Olympic Weightlifting

Clean and Jerk is one of the two Olympic weightlifting events (the other being the snatch). The clean portion of the lift refers to the lifter explosively pulling the weight from the floor to a racked position across deltoids and clavicles. In early twentieth century weightlifting competitions, a variant movement called the "Continental" (because it was practiced by Germans rather than the British) allowed the lifter to pull the barbell up to his belt, where it could rest. Then with several successive flips, the bar would be moved up the torso until it reached the position for the overhead jerk. The Continental gained a reputation as clumsy, slow, and nonathletic compared to the swift coordinated movement required to lift the bar "clean." Hence, the clean movement was adopted by the early weightlifting federations as the official movement.

Beginning

The athlete begins the clean by squatting down to grasp the bar. Hands are positioned approximately a thumb's distance from hips using what is known as a hook grip. The hook grip requires grasping the bar so that the fingers go over the thumb. This makes it much easier for the lifter to maintain his grip on the bar. The lifter's arms are relaxed and just outside the legs with the bar up against the shins. The hips are as low as necessary to grasp the bar, with the feet placed approximately at hip width. Weight is kept on the heels. Toes may be pointed straight ahead or angled out according to the lifters preference. The chest is up and the back is neutral to slightly hyper extended. This is the starting position of the "pull" phase of the lift.

Beginning Phase in Weightlifting

Clean phase

The lifter jumps the bar up through triple extension (in very quick succession) of the hips, knees and then ankles. When the legs have driven the bar as high as possible, the lifter pulls under the bar by violently shrugging (contracting) the trapezius muscles of the upper back ("traps"). This pulls the lifter under the bar and into a deep squat position. The lifter then stands (similar to a front squat) in preparation for the second phase.

Clean phase in Weightlifting

Overhead Jerk phase

From the standing position, the lifter bends the knees and then straightens them in order to propel the barbell upwards. The lifter pushes slightly with the arms. This pushes the lifter underneath the barbell. A split jerk is most often used, in which one leg lunges forward while the other moves backward. The lifter must hold the barbell overhead, keep the arms locked, and move the legs directly underneath the torso so that the entire body lines up in a single plane. A push jerk can also be used, in which the lifter keeps both legs in position, bends the knees and jumps into lockout position.

Overhead Jerk phase in Weightlifting

World Records

As of the Athens 2004 Summer Olympics, the official world record for the Men's Clean and Jerk is 263.0 kilograms (580 lb). This record was set by Hossein Rezazadeh of Iran. The former world record in the Clean and Jerk was 266.0 kilograms (586 lb) by Leonid Taranenko of the Soviet Union. However this weight is not considered a world record by the International Weightlifting Federation, since all the old records were annulled after a restructuring of weight classes. The world record for the Women's Clean and Jerk is 187.0 kilograms (412 lb) as of 2009 World Weightlifting Championships. This record was set by Jang Miran of South Korea.

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Weightlifting - Snatch

Snatch is one of the two olympic weightlifting events (the other being the clean and jerk). The essence of the event is to lift a barbell from the platform to locked arms overhead in a smooth continuous movement. The barbell is pulled as high as the lifter can manage (typically to mid chest height) (the pull) at which point the barbell is flipped overhead. With relatively light weights (as in the "power snatch") locking of the arms may not require rebending the knees. However, as performed in contests, the weight is always heavy enough to demand that the lifter receive the bar in a squatting position, while at the same time flipping the weight so it moves in an arc directly overhead to locked arms (the quick drop). When the lifter is secure in this position, he rises (overhead squat), completing the lift.

The lift requires not only great strength, but mastery of technical skills, a high degree of shoulder flexibility, excellent balance, and speed. However, power and strength do play an important role in differentiating athletes in competition, particularly at advanced levels, where the majority of competitors have mastered the technical aspects of the lift. It is executed in a single movement. This lift requires coordination, torso (core) stability, and explosive power of the legs to generate the upward momentum required to snatch hundreds of pounds overhead. Tremendous speed is required to get underneath the bar after the second pull.

Weightlifting Snatch

The current record holder is Hossein Rezazadeh of Iran, who has snatched 213.0 kilograms (470 lb). The previous record of 216.0 kilograms (476 lb) belongs to Antonio Krastev from Bulgaria, but after the weight classes were reshuffled, this older record is no longer recognized by the IWF. In the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Jang Miran of South Korea set the women's world record for snatch of 140.0 kilograms (309 lb).

Hossein Rezazadeh Record Holder

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Weightlifting - Women's Lifting

Women's Weightlifting has become a recognized Olympic sport recently. Women's weightlifting made its Olympic debut at the 2000 Games in Sydney. from 1987. There were official world championships awarded to women weightlifters from 1987.

Karyn Marshall (born 1956 in Miami, Florida) is an Olympic weightlifter of Norwegian descent for the United States. Karyn Marshall was world champion in Women's Lifting in 1987. Karyn Marshall set 60 American and world records in women's weightlifting and is the first woman in history to clean and jerk over 300 lb (136 kg). Karyn Marshall was inducted into the USA Weightlifting Hall of Fame in 2011.

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Weightlifting - Competition

Weightlifting Competition 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.

The classes for men are: 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. The classes for women are: 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. 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 normally. 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.

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. 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 body weight.

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Weightlifting - History

Weightlifting has been contested at every Summer Olympic Games since the 1920 Summer Olympics. Weightlifting was included twice before then that as well. Weightlifting debuted at the 1896 Summer Olympics, in Athens, Greece. Weightlifting was also an event at the 1904 Games.

In the early Olympic Games, all lifters competed in the same events, regardless of their individual body weights. At the 1896 Summer Olympics, two weightlifting events were contested: One hand lift and Two hand lift. At the 1904 Summer Olympics at St. Louis, Missouri; two weightlifting events were contested: Two hand lift and All-around dumbbell.

Men's weightlifting has been an Olympic sport for almost a century now. Women's weightlifting has become a recognized Olympic sport recently. Women's weightlifting made its Olympic debut at the 2000 Games in Sydney.

Women Weightlifting first time in Olympic 2000

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Saturday 11 June 2011

Weightlifting - Overview

Weightlifting is a perfect demonstration of physical strength, technical skill and concentration combined. Lifters compete individually in a competition that requires physical and mental preparedness and eventually tactical skills. Each competition is a final, whereas athletes are ranked in accordance with their performance.

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. Weightlifting has been contested at every Summer Olympic Games since the 1920 Summer Olympics. Powerlifting is another strength sport, which resembles the sport of Olympic weightlifting, as both disciplines involve lifting weights in three attempts. Power-lifting been a Paralympic sport since 1984 and under the IPF, is also a World Games sport.

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