Weightlifting is a strength sport with a long and fascinating history. Originating as a way of measuring the physical strength of competitors, weightlifting has its roots in ancient practices. Stay until the end to find out more about the sport, as well as meet the best weightlifting athletes in the world today.
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Read on to find out about the best weightlifters in the world today
Weightlifting as an organized sport began to take shape at the end of the 19th century, especially in Europe, where clubs and competitions began to become popular.
In 1891, the first World Weightlifting Championships were held in London.
However, modern weightlifting, as we know it today, was officially included in the Olympic Games in Athens in 1896, still without a division into weight categories. It wasn’t until 1920, at the Antwerp Games, that the sport began to be organized into different categories.
The sport has evolved significantly since then, gaining popularity in many parts of the world and becoming one of the most exciting events at the Olympics.
Women began competing in Olympic weightlifting at the Sydney Games in 2000.
Read on to find out about the best weightlifting athletes in the world today.
Best Weightlifters in the world today: rules, disciplines and curiosities
Competitive weightlifting consists of two main disciplines:
- Snatch: in this discipline, the athlete must lift the bar from the floor to above their head in a single continuous movement.
- Throw: in the throw, the athlete lifts the bar up to their shoulders and, in a second movement, extends their arms upwards until the bar is above their head.
In both disciplines, the athlete has three attempts to lift as much weight as possible.
The final result is the sum of the highest weights lifted in each discipline.
The competitions are divided into bodyweight categories for both men and women.
Read on to find out about the best weightlifting athletes in the world today.
Curiosities
- Doping and records: weightlifting has a long history of doping cases, especially during the Cold War. This led to several sanctions and the disqualification of world records.
- Popularity in Asia: currently, countries like China, Iran and Kazakhstan have made a name for themselves on the global weightlifting scene, with athletes frequently breaking world records.
Read on to find out about the best weightlifting athletes in the world today.
Best Weightlifting athletes in the world today – Men
Lasha Talakhadze (Georgia)
- History: Born in 1993, Lasha is considered today’s greatest weightlifter.
- Titles: Two-time Olympic champion (Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020), multiple world and European champion.
- Fun facts: Holds the world record for the snatch, throw and total in the super-heavyweight category (+109 kg).
Read on to find out about the best weightlifting athletes in the world today.
Shi Zhiyong (China)
- History: One of the most dominant Chinese weightlifters.
- Titles: Gold medal at the 2016 and 2020 Olympics in the 73 kg category.
- Fun facts: Known for his incredible technique and consistency in international competitions.
Read on to find out about the best weightlifting athletes in the world today.
Ali Davoudi (Iran)
- History: Young Iranian prospect, born in 1999.
- Titles: Silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in the +109 kg category.
- Fun facts: Considered the successor to the great names in Iranian weightlifting.
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Talha Talib (Pakistan)
- History: One of the first Pakistani athletes to excel at international level.
- Titles: Bronze medal at the 2020 Asian Championships.
- Fun facts: She gained worldwide attention for her performance at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, even though she didn’t win a medal.
Read on to find out about the best weightlifting athletes in the world today.
Best Weightlifting athletes in the world today – Women
Hou Zhihui (China)
- History: Born in 1997, she is one of China’s greatest weightlifters.
- Titles: Gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the 49 kg category.
- Fun facts: She holds world records and is known for her excellent technique.
Kuo Hsing-Chun (Taiwan)
- History: Taiwanese weightlifter, born in 1993.
- Titles: Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion in the 59 kg category and multiple world champion.
- Fun facts: Kuo is considered a legend in women’s weightlifting and holds several world records.
Loredana Toma (Romania)
- History: Romanian born in 1995, one of the most respected weightlifters in Europe.
- Titles: Multiple European and world champion in the 64 kg category.
- Fun facts: Toma is known for its strength and determination, dominating European competitions.
Sarah Robles (USA)
- History: Born in 1988, Sarah is one of the USA’s leading weightlifters.
- Titles: Bronze medal at the 2016 and 2020 Olympics in the +87 kg category.
- Fun facts: Sarah is the first American woman to win an Olympic medal in weightlifting in 16 years.
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