Weightlifting

Weightlifting is the ultimate test of strength, power, balance and good old fashioned grunt.

The practice of lifting heavy stones to determine one’s strength commenced in ancient times. This practice has continued down through the ages and in many strongman contests today heavy stones are lifted, or attempted to be lifted. Modern weightlifting started in Germany in the mid-1800s and quickly spread through the rest of Continental Europe and beyond. Weightlifting featured in the first modern Olympics in Athens in 1896.

Qualification

There will be 60 men and 50 women competing in weightlifting at the YOG with a maximum of two men and two women per country.

Of the 60 male competitors 47 will qualify from the 2009 Youth World Championships and Continental Qualification. There are an additional 12 Universality places and Singapore as host nation are allocated a place.

Of the 50 male competitors 39 will qualify from the 2009 Youth World Championships and Continental Qualification. Then there are an additional 10 Universality places and Singapore as host nation are allocated a place.

Australia hopes to send two weightlifters to compete at Singapore 2010.

Age Group

Athletes competing in this sport must be born between 1/1/93 and 31/12/94.

Rules / Competition Format 

Men will compete in six bodyweight categories, while the women will compete in five.

Each competition consists of two parts: the snatch and the clean & jerk, with generally a 10 minute break between the two. Each competitor may take three attempts at individually chosen weights in both the snatch and the clean & jerk, and the best results achieved (in kilograms) are added to a total, which determines the ranking. The combined results of the snatch and the clean & jerk will produce the Youth Olympic Champion of each bodyweight category.

Each competitor is allowed one minute (or two minutes, if following themselves) between the calling of his or her name and the beginning of the attempt. The rules of lifting and for the adjudication of attempts are the same for men and women.

Weight categories:

M: 56kg, 62kg, 69kg, 77kg, 85kg, +85kg
W: 48kg, 53kg, 58kg, 63kg, +63kg

Differences from the Junior World Championships

At the IWF Junior World Championships, titles and medals are awarded for the two individual lifts, the snatch and the clean & jerk. At the Youth Olympic Games only the total result counts.

Athletes compete in eight men’s and seven women’s bodyweight categories at the IWF Youth World Championships. Furthermore, in the IWF Youth World Championships, competitors score points for a team classification whereas no team titles are issued in the Youth Olympic Games.

Venue - Toa Payoh Sports Hall

The Toa Payoh Sports Hall is located in the central region of Singapore and is part of the Toa Payoh Sports & Recreation Centre. This venue has been renovated especially for the Youth Olympic Games and is next door to the diving and indoor volleyball venues.

Australia and Olympic Weightlifting

Australia sent its first weightlifters to London in 1948. Four years later in Helsinki, Vern Barberis won a bronze medal in the lightweight category. It took another 32 years before the next weightlifting medal was won by an Australian. In fact two were won, in Los Angeles in 1984. Dean Lukin won the gold medal as a super heavyweight and Robert Kabbas took silver as a light heavyweight. Australia’s fourth weightlifting medal came with Stefan Botev in the super heavyweight category in Atlanta 1996.