Weightlifting

Sport Overview

Weightlifting at Paris 2024

Venue: South Paris Arena 6

Competition Dates: August 7-11 (Days 12-16)

Events: 10 (5 men, 5 women)

Trivia: Test your knowledge! 

Olympic weightlifting became gender equal for the first time at Tokyo 2020. It will be a balanced program again at Paris 2024, but with a reduction in weight classes. The five men’s events, designated by their upper weight limit, will be 61kg, 73kg, 89kg, 102kg, and +102kg. The five women’s events are 49kg, 59kg, 71kg, 81kg and +81kg.

Weightlifting is the ultimate test of strength as competitors lift a barbell which consists of a steel bar (20kg for men, 15kg for women) onto which different coloured weight discs (0.5kg to 25kg) are loaded. There are two different types of lifts performed: the snatch and the clean and jerk. With three attempts at each, the best snatch and best clean and jerk for each lifter are added together to determine the final results.

To perform the snatch, the barbell is placed horizontally in front of the lifter’s legs. It is gripped palms downward and pulled in a single movement from the floor to above the head with arms fully extended.

There are two phases in the clean and jerk. To perform the clean, the barbell is placed horizontally in front of the lifter’s legs. Gripped with palms downward, it is pulled in a single movement from the floor to the shoulders. The barbell rests above the chest or on bent arms as the feet move to the same line with legs straight before performing the jerk. In the jerk, the athlete bends the legs and extends them as well as the arms to bring the barbell above the head with arms fully extended.

Canada’s Olympic Weightlifting History (Pre-Paris 2024)

Canada’s most decorated Olympic weightlifter is Christine Girard, who won 63kg gold at London 2012 after a bronze at Beijing 2008. She was the first Canadian woman to win an Olympic weightlifting medal. Maude Charron followed in her footsteps as an Olympic champion, winning 64kg gold at Tokyo 2020.

Canada’s first Olympic medal in weightlifting came at Helsinki 1952 when Gerry Gratton won silver. Jacques Demers won Canada its second silver medal in the sport at Los Angeles 1984.

Olympic Weightlifting History

Weightlifting has been included on the program at all but three Olympic Games (Paris 1900, London 1908, Stockholm 1912). In its early days, there were no weight classes, but that began to change at Antwerp 1920. By the 1980s, there were 10 separate events for men.

It wasn’t until Sydney 2000 that women first competed in weightlifting at the Olympic Games, with seven weight classes on the program compared to eight for men.