Weightlifting is a perfect demonstration of great functional strength, power, flexibility, dexterity, great lifting technique and concentration combined. In Weightlifting the main goal is the lifting of the weight itself with flawless execution. Lifting a fully loaded barbell with the heaviest weight possible using perfect form on two different lifts is the name of the game. 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.
History
It is almost impossible to trace an exact date of the first weightlifting championship. Tests of human strength, in one form or another are probably older than civilization itself. Images of athletes lifting heavy objects, apparently for sport, appear in ancient Egyptian records, in Chinese texts and in Greek carvings.
The first organized weightlifting competitions began in Europe in the late 1800's, and the sport's first world champion was crowned in 1891.Weightlifting was on the program for the first Games in 1896, as part of athletics, but was left out of the 1900 Games. It reappeared in 1904 but didn't return to the Olympic fold again until 1920 when it was admitted in its own right.
In 1920 the International Weightlifting Federation was founded and Weightlifting was made an official part of the Olympic Games. In 1920, there were nine different lifts that athletes could participate on, some of them being one-handed lifts. One-arm lifts are taken out from the program in 1928, and as a result, the sport was left with three lifts: the snatch, the clean and jerk, and the press.
In 1976 the press was taken out from weightlifting because of difficulties in the judging of the lift, thus leaving the sport with the two lifts it has today: the snatch and the clean & jerk.
Women Weightlifting was first time included in 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Sydney Olympic Games 2000 was on those Olympic Games that women were granted a role in the competition, before it Olympic weightlifting was a men sport only. At the 2004 Athens Olympic Games women participated in seven categories: up to 48kg, 53kg, 58kg, 63kg, 69kg, 75kg, and +75kg.
According to the IOC, the most successful Olympic weightlifters of all time are Naim Süleymanoglu and Halil Mutlu of Turkey, Pyrros Dimas, and Kakhi Kakhiasvillis of Greece, each of whom won three Olympic titles. In addition, Hungary Imre Földi, Ronnie Weller and Ingo Steinhöfel hold a special record being that they are five-times Olympians.
Weightlifting competitions at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing were held from August 9 to August 19. Competitions were conducted at the Beihang University Gymnasium. Today weightlifters compete in the snatch and the clean & jerk. Results are classified according to the total weight lifted when adding the best results of both lifts. The weightlifting program of events for the 2008 Beijing Games men competed in eight bodyweight categories: up to 56kg, 62kg, 69kg, 77kg, 85kg, 94kg, 105kg and +105kg. Women participated in seven categories: up to 48kg, 53kg, 58kg, 63kg, 69kg, 75kg, and +75kg.
Next year Weightlifting competitions at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London will be held from 28 July to 7 August in the ExCeL venue. Fifteen gold medals will be awarded and 260 athletes expected to take part including 104 women. The weightlifting program of events for the 2012 London Olympic Games is the same as 2008 Beijing Games.
