The 2024 Olympic Games is well underway and weightlifting is one of the many sports that you might tune in to.

As the Olympic Games have such a range of different sports, including some that aren’t usually widely televised, you might find yourself watching a sport you don’t fully understand.

While you can sometimes start to pick up the rules as you watch, having some background knowledge beforehand is often useful.

To help you out, we’ve broken down some key questions on weightlifting and how the sport works in the Olympic Games.

How will Olympic weightlifting work at Paris 2024?

Weightlifting, the ultimate test of strength, has been an integral part of the Olympic sports programme.

The sport has appeared at every modern Summer Olympics since 1896 - except 1900, 1908 and 1912. It was only introduced for women at Sydney 2000.

The sport involves athletes lifting a barbell loaded with weight plates from the ground to above their head, with the aim of successfully lifting the heaviest weights of all participants.

Olympic weightlifting technique

Athletes compete in two categories, the snatch and clean and jerk, aiming to lift the heaviest possible weight successfully.

Each weightlifter gets three attempts at both types of lifting, attempting the snatch first. The combined total of the highest successfully lifted weight for each lift makes up the athlete’s score.

Athletes compete in various weight classes, which are different for men and women.

A men's Olympic barbell weighs 20 kg (44 lbs) and a women's weighs 15 kg (33 lbs). Weight plates, known as ‘bumper plates’ are added between rounds of attempts, which are rubber coated to allow them to be safely dropped from a height after either a successful or failed lift.

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Difference between 'snatch' and 'clean & jerk' in weightlifting

The snatch is one movement, the clean and jerk is two!

The snatch involves holding the barbell with a wide grip and lifting the bar overhead in one motion. It’s a lift that requires excellent balance.

Athletes position themselves with a wide grip on the bar and pull the barbell upwards before quickly bending their knees to ensure they are fully under the barbell, normally in a deep squat, with arms outstretched and the barbell over their head. The lift is completed by the athlete standing fully upright with the barbell still overhead.

What is 'clean and jerk' in weightlifting?

The clean and jerk involves a combination of two movements for the athlete to lift the barbell overhead. First, the barbell is lifted from the floor onto the front of the shoulders using a shoulder-wide grip (the ‘clean’), before the athlete bends their knees again to deep squat under the barbell.

The lifter must then rise to a standing position while still holding the barbell on their shoulders, before jumping into a bent knees position (the ‘jerk’) while pushing the barbell overhead. The movement is finished when the lifter re-straightens their legs to stand upright with the barbell still overhead.

The bent knees position can be either together or with one foot backwards in a lunge, which is called a ‘split jerk’.

What are the Olympic weightlifting classes at Paris 2024?

There will be five weight classes for men at the Olympics: 61 kg, 73 kg, 89 kg, 102 kg and over 102 kg.

There will be five weight classes for women at the Olympics: 49 kg, 59 kg, 71 kg, 81 kg and over 81 kg.

Weightlifting judging at the Olympics

Weightlifting is judged subjectively, with two side judges and a head referee determining whether a lift has been completed successfully according to the governing body’s rules.

Two successes are required for an attempt to pass. A white light is normally used to indicate a successful lift and a red light for a failed one, to make it easier for the audience and coaching staff to see.

Lifters who fail to successfully complete at least one snatch and at least one clean and jerk fail to total. The athletes’ best performances in both are added together to make their score.

If two athletes tie, the athlete with the lightest bodyweight takes gold, but if their weight class is the same it is awarded to the competitor who needed the fewest attempts.

Weightlifting kit

Athletes normally wear a close-fitting leotard called a singlet and sometimes wear an optional weightlifting belt, which increases pressure on the abdominal muscles.

The athletes also wear particularly distinctive shoes, which have a raised heel of up to 1.5 inches and straps that tighten across the shoe’s insteps. This raised heel allows for a deeper squat under the bar and more stability, which is important when lifting extremely heavy weights. The shoes’ toe box is more flexible which means the athletes can come up onto their toes during the ‘jerk’ movement. Every aspect of the shoe is designed to facilitate lifting.

Why do lifters chalk their hands?

You’ll often see lifters rub chalk over their hands before attempting a lift, which makes it easier to grip so the bar doesn’t slip in their hands.

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Why do athletes tape their hands?

You’ll also often see lifters using tape, especially over their thumbs, to avoid friction burn and calluses due to the type of grip. Taping wrists also helps to prevent uncomfortable joint movements when lifting the bar overhead, avoiding short-term injuries.

What are the differences between weightlifting and powerlifting?

There are several different types of lifting but the term ‘Olympic weightlifting’ distinguishes it from other types such a powerlifting, weight training, and strongman events. The snatch and the clean and jerk are likewise known as the ‘Olympic lifts’.

Both the Olympic lifts test an athlete’s explosive power as well as pure strength, as the lifts are done faster and with a greater range of motion than other types.