Dating from ancient times, where participants attempted to lift heavy stones, weightlifting appeared in the first modern games in Athens in 1896 for men. After a short absence during the editions of 1900, 1908 and 1912, the discipline returned to the program in Antwerp in 1920, and has never left it since.
For women, we had to wait until Sydney and the first Olympic Games of the 21st century to see the first women’s weightlifting events.
If the 20th century was marked by the domination of European countries such as France, Germany and Austria, today the forces have been rebalanced. With the rise of Turkey, Greece, Iran at the end of the century, and especially China which dominated the last games with 7 gold medals, led by star Shi Zhiyong, double Olympic champion in 2016 and in 2021.
The Georgian Lasha Talakhadze is also expected this summer, and shattered all records in the snatch (225kg) and the clean and jerk (267kg) for a cumulative total of 492kg during the worlds in 2021. The colossus aims for a third Olympic gold medal after two obtained in Rio in 2016 and Tokyo in 2021. Injured for the 2024 European championships, the colossus is preserving himself, with Paris and the 500kg in his sights. Will he succeed in passing this symbolic bar?
As in many individual sports where performance depends heavily on physical attributes, weightlifters placed them into weight classes. Ranging from 49kg, 59kg, 71kg, 81kg and 81kg for women, and 61kg, 73kg, 89kg, 102kg, and 102kg for men. During these short events, athletes must perform two movements: the snatch and the clean and jerk.
When performing these two movements, for which three attempts are allowed (per phase). Precise movement is expected, and the best attempt at the snatch is added to the best attempt at the clean and jerk to constitute a score, the combined weight of which is the highest. Whoever has the biggest kilogram wins. In Paris, 120 athletes will compete, for a maximum of 12 candidates per weight category.
Olympic movements
Additional glossary
From Wednesday August 7 to Sunday August 11, the various weightlifting events will take place at the Arena Paris Sud (Porte de Versailles). During these five days, the finals of each category are divided into 3 sessions. In the morning at 11:30 a.m., and in the afternoon at 3 p.m. and in the evening at 7:30 p.m. Each time, men and women take turns.
For the men, the finals begin with the 61kg on the 7th, the 73kg on the 8th, the 89kg on the 9th, and the 102kg and 102kg on the 10th. For the women, see you on the 7th for the 49kg, on the 8th with the 59kg, the 9th will be 71kg, the 10th the 81kg and finally the 81kg on Sunday the 11th.
