Weightlifting

Olympic weightlifting consists of two movements: the snatch, in which the barbell is lifted from the floor above the head in a single movement, and the clean and jerk, in which the barbell is first brought to the shoulders and then pushed above the head in two stages. Each athlete has three attempts per lift, and the ranking is determined by adding up the best valid lifts. Strength competitions have always existed, but the modern sport took shape between the 19th and 20th centuries and was already featured at the 1896 Olympic Games; for decades, the programme also included the slow press, which was dropped in 1972 because it was too difficult to judge. Women’s weightlifting made its Olympic debut at Sydney 2000. It is not just about strength: the snatch and clean and jerk are extremely fast technical movements, in which the barbell’s trajectory, the speed of descent beneath the load and the stability of the lift are just as important as muscle power. Strategy plays a huge part, as each athlete declares their lifts and can change the order in which they take to the platform. At the 20th Mediterranean Games in Taranto in 2026, the weightlifting competition will take place from 31 August to 2 September at the Palazzetto dello Sport in San Giorgio Jonico, with nine titles up for grabs: five men’s categories (65, 75, 85, 95, 110 kg) and four women’s categories (53, 61, 69, 77 kg).

• 1Two exercises: snatch (a single movement) and clean and jerk (lifting to the chest followed by a push overhead)
• 2Three attempts per exercise; the ranking is based on the best valid lifts
• 3The clean is only valid with the barbell stationary, arms extended and feet aligned, on the judges’ signal
• 4In the event of a tie in the total, the winner is the competitor with the lower body weight or the one who lifted the weight first
• 5In Taranto, 9 titles: 5 men’s categories and 4 women’s categories in San Giorgio Jonico