Weightlifting, also known as powerlifting, is a sport that has been at the Olympics since it began its modern days, although it has become more diverse over the years.
In Tokyo 2020 they will make history again, since the first openly transgender athlete in the history of the Olympics will participate in this discipline.
Next, we will tell you everything you need to know about this sport, from what its rules are, how many medals Mexico has won and who are the athletes that will represent us this summer.
Weightlifting has a very simple goal: to lift more weight than any other athlete.
According to the National Commission for Physical Culture and Sports (Conade), “weightlifting” comes from two words: “halter”, which means weight; and “philos”, which means love. This discipline is also popularly known as “weight lifting”.
Its oldest precursor was heavy stone lifting, according to the Olympics. In addition, it was practiced in various ancient civilizations, such as the Egyptians and the Greeks, as a means of measuring strength and power.
In the Middle Ages there were women and men who appeared at fairs and amazed the public with demonstrations of their strength, Conade reported.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Frenchman Jules Rosset promoted this sport by devising the categories and styles of lifting, which we now know as the snatch and the clean and jerk.
The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), which governs the discipline to this day, was founded in 1920. Today, it is one of the largest in the world.
Sources: Olympics, Conade
Weightlifting was part of the program of the first modern Olympic Games, which were Athens 1896. Since then, the men's branch of this discipline has remained on its agenda, except for Paris 1900, London 1908 and Stockholm 1912.
In the first editions of the Olympics —such as Athens 1896 and San Luis 1904— very different techniques were used than the current ones. For example, all athletes competed in the same events regardless of their body weight.
Weight divisions were implemented until Antwerp 1920. On the other hand, the current lifting techniques—the snatch and the clean and jerk—were standardized in Montreal 1976.
The glass ceiling in this discipline was broken until Sydney 2000, when women began to compete in it.
On the other hand, at Tokyo 2020 New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard will make history by becoming the first openly transgender athlete to compete in the Olympics.
As for the countries that have dominated weightlifting at the Olympics, Austria, Germany and France were the ones that took the most medals at the beginning of the century.
However, in the 1950s, lifters from the Soviet Union (USSR) gained strength and dominated until 1990.
Currently, China, Turkey, Greece and Iran are the favorite nations in weightlifting within the men's division. In the women's, China has dominated since Sydney 2000.
Sources: Olympics, Business Insider Mexico
Like other Olympic sports, weightlifting is divided into men's and women's divisions, which in turn have their own divisions by athletes' bodyweight.
For men there are the following events:
While in the women's branch there are the following divisions:
According to Conade, all competitions are held on a special platform that can be made of wood, plastic or any solid material. It is also covered in a non-slip material. The platform is square and measures four by four meters.
All competitors participate in two tests:
In both tests, when lifting the bar the elbows must not be bent and there must be no imbalance in the extension of the arms.
Each athlete has three attempts in each event. They have one minute to do their lift from when they are called to the snatch. That time increases to two minutes in the clean and jerk.
If a lifter fails to make a valid lift on any of his attempts in the snatch, he is eliminated from the competition and may not advance to the clean and jerk event.
Sources: Olympics, Conade
Olympic weightlifting has three judges, who decide whether a lift is valid or invalid. Each has a control box with a white button and a red button. The first is pressed when the lift is valid and the second when it is not.
According to Conade, two or three red buttons invalidate the athlete's attempt.
Weightlifting events also have a jury made up of five people from different countries. They are responsible for the correct application of the technical rules. If a judge is wrong, the jury can change the verdict.
When qualifying, the best lift of each test is taken into account. Both weights are added and the athlete who has accumulated more kilos wins.
If there is a tie, the winner is the athlete who has reached full weight the fastest.
On the other hand, it must be taken into account that if the athlete drops the bar before receiving the signal to do so, the lift is considered a failure.
In addition, the referees penalize not starting the lift within the established time or touching the platform with any part of the body other than the soles of the feet.
Sources: Olympics, Conade
In the case of the men's branch, the bar weighs 20 kilograms, measures 2.20 meters and its diameter is 2.8 centimeters, according to Conade. In the women's events, it weighs 15 kilos, measures 2.10 meters and its diameter is 2.5 centimeters.
The bars are always equipped with two collars that serve to stop the discs. Each one weighs 2.5 kilos.
For their part, the discs are of a different color and diameter depending on their weight (which must be clearly marked). They are made of cast iron, although those of 10 kilos or less can be made of other materials.
On the bar, the plates are ordered according to their weight. The heaviest always goes on the inside, leaving the lightest until last.
Lifters clothing has some fundamental elements:
Lifters can also put magnesia on their hands to keep the bar from slipping with sweat.
Sources: Conade
Throughout history, Mexico has won three weightlifting medals: one gold and two bronze. The most interesting thing is that it has always been in the women's branch, so no lifter has won a medal in this discipline for our country.
To date, the best-known Mexican weightlifter is Soraya Jiménez, who made history in Sydney 2000 by becoming the first woman from our country to win a gold medal.
Originally from Naucalpan, State of Mexico, she lifted 222.5 kilos (95 snatch and 127.5 clean and jerk) in the 58 kilo division, according to the Government of Mexico.
In 2002, she failed a doping test after the Pan American Weightlifting Championships, for which she was banned for six months. She also presented false documents to participate in the World University Championship, MARCA reported.
Jiménez could not qualify for Atenas 2004 and that same year she withdrew from the competitions.
Physically, the Mexican underwent 14 operations on her left leg, the loss of her right lung, five cardiorespiratory arrests, and she fell into a coma for 15 days due to AH1N1 Influenza.
The weightlifter died on March 28, 2013 of cardiac arrest while she slept, reported AS.
Damaris Aguirre won the silver medal in Beijing 2008 in a very special way. The Mexican lifted a total of 245 kilograms in her six lifts, finishing in sixth position in the 75-kilogram category.
However, three of her rivals (including first and third place) were disqualified for doping, so Aguirre was able to hang her Olympic medal until 2017.
Finally, Luz Acosta won the bronze in London 2012 in a situation similar to that of Aguirre. The Mexican lifted a total of 244 kilograms (99 in the snatch and 125 in the clean and jerk) and was in sixth place in the 63-kilogram category, according to Codeson.
The positions were rearranged after the three medalists tested positive for doping, causing Acosta to receive the medal from her until 2018.
Sources: Government of Mexico, MARCA, AS, Codeson
Mexico will have four places in weightlifting for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, which were achieved according to the classification ranking of the International Weightlifting Federation.
Ana Gabriela López Ferrer got her ticket in the women's 55 kilos division, Aremi Fuentes Zavala in the women's 76 kilos, Jonathan Antonio Muñoz Martínez in the men's 67 kilos and Jorge Adán Cárdenas Estrada in the men's 73 kilos.
López won the bronze medal at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games and seventh place at the World Weightlifting Championship that same year; while Fuentes won silver at Lima 2019 and ranked fourth in the World Cup, reported Milenio.
Muñoz was decorated with gold at the last Pan American Games and placed 11th in the World Cup. For his part, Cárdenas finished in fourth place in Lima 2019 and took the bronze medal in the Pan American Championship.
Sources: Government of Mexico, Millennium
According to the schedule of the next Olympic Games, the Weightlifting events will be held from July 24 to August 4 at the Tokyo International Forum.
You can review the complete schedule for this discipline here.
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