Rules
Olympic Weightlifting Rules
Weightlifting has two lifts, the snatch and the clean and jerk, done in that order with three attempts at each. Your best snatch and your best clean and jerk add up to your total, and the highest total wins the weight class.
The snatch and the clean and jerk
In the snatch, the lifter pulls the bar from the platform to arms' length overhead in one movement, dropping into a squat or a split to catch it, then stands up with it. In the clean and jerk, the bar goes to the shoulders first, the clean, and from the shoulders to overhead second, the jerk. Both lifts are done with two hands.
A lifter who misses all three snatches can still clean and jerk, and the other way round, but without a made attempt in each lift there is no total.
How a weightlifting competition runs
Weigh-in. The weigh-in starts two hours before the lifters' session and lasts one hour. A lifter has to weigh in within the limits of the class entered, or cannot lift in it. See the weight classes for the limits.
The bar only goes up. Each lift starts with the lightest attempt anyone has asked for, and the bar gets heavier from there; it is not unloaded for a lifter who missed their turn. The weight is always a whole number of kilograms. After a made attempt, a lifter's next attempt is at least 1 kg heavier; after a miss, the same weight can be tried again.
Order. The lifter with the lightest weight goes first. When two lifters ask for the same weight, the one on the earlier attempt goes first.
The clock. Once called, a lifter has one minute to start the attempt, with a warning at 30 seconds. A lifter following their own attempt gets two minutes.
Winning, ties and medals
The highest total wins the class. When two lifters finish on the same total, the one who made it first ranks higher.
At the World Championships, gold, silver and bronze medals go to the best snatch, the best clean and jerk and the best total in each class, so one lifter can win three. At the Olympic Games, medals go to the total only.
Referees and no-lifts
Three referees judge every attempt. Each gives a white light for a good lift or a red light for a no-lift, and two white lights make the lift good. The lifter holds the bar overhead, still, until the down signal.
The most common reasons for a red light:
- a press-out: straightening the arms further after reaching the bottom of the squat or split, or bending and straightening the elbows while standing up;
- a pause while the arms are straightening;
- touching the platform with anything but the feet, such as a knee in a deep split;
- stepping off the platform before the lift is finished.
The bar, discs and collars
A men's competition bar weighs 20 kg, is 2.2 metres long and has a 28 mm grip. A women's bar weighs 15 kg, is 2.01 metres long and has a 25 mm grip. A 2.5 kg collar on each end holds the discs, so the empty bar with collars comes to 25 kg for men and 20 kg for women.
Competition discs are colour coded by weight, and the small discs repeat the colours of the large ones.
| Disc | Colour |
|---|---|
| 25 kg | Red |
| 20 kg | Blue |
| 15 kg | Yellow |
| 10 kg | Green |
| 5 kg | White |
| 2.5 kg | Red |
| 2 kg | Blue |
| 1.5 kg | Yellow |
| 1 kg | Green |
| 0.5 kg | White |
For every other kind of bar and what it weighs, see the barbell weights guide.
What lifters wear
A one-piece lifting suit that leaves the elbows and knees bare, and sport shoes, are required. A belt up to 12 cm wide may be worn over the suit. Knee sleeves and wraps are allowed if the knee can still move freely.
Wraps and tape may cover the hands and wrists, but nothing may be attached to the bar, so lifting straps are not allowed in competition.