Weightlifting at the Paris 2024 Olympics

Emily Campbell celebrates winning Olympic +87kg silver in TokyoImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Emily Campbell won Olympic +87kg silver in Tokyo

  • Published

Weightlifting was part of the inaugural Olympic Games in Greece in 1896.

The men's competition has been held every cycle since 1920, while the women's competition made its debut in 2000.

Here is all you need to know.

Weightlifting schedule and venue at Paris 2024

The weightlifting runs from 7 to 11 August at the South Paris Arena 6, which is part of the Paris Expo centre.

There are 10 medals on offer, with five men's weight classes and five women's.

The men's classes are 61kg, 73kg, 89kg, 102kg and +102kg, while the women's are 49kg, 59kg, 71kg, 81kg and +81kg.

What is snatch and clean and jerk in weightlifting?

Athletes perform two different types of lifts: snatch and clean and jerk.

Athletes are allowed up to three attempts at each lift, with their best result in each lift added together to form their final score. If a lift is succesful, athletes can move to a heavier weight.

The snatch is where the barbell is lifted above the head in one movement. Clean and jerk is where the barbell is lifted above the head in two movements.

Three referees judge each lift. A white light shows if a lift is succesful, and athletes need two white lights to progress.

Who has won the most medals in Olympic weightlifting?

The Soviet Union are the most succesful nation in Olympic weightlifting, having won 62 medals in total.

China have also won 62 but that includes 38 golds to the Soviet Union's 39. United States have won the third most with 44.

What Olympic weightlifting medals have Team GB won?

Great Britain have won eight Olympic weightlifting medals.

Will Emily Campbell be competing for Team GB at the Paris Olympics?

Emily Campbell became the first British woman to win an Olympic weightlifting medal when she secured +87kg silver at the Tokyo Games.

She will be the sole British representative in Paris and will compete in the +81kg category.