The purpose of the game is easy - lift weights more than the other and the games are won. However, it is not as easy as it sounds. The game requires raw power at its full display. Weightlifting is more of an art than a sport. The technique to lift a weight is of prime importance here. Weightlifting debuted during the 1896 Games in Athens. The women weightlifters made their debut in the Olympics at the Sydney 2000 Games.
This year at the London 2012 Summer Olympics, the game will be held from July 28th to August 7th. The competition will be held at ExCel, which is the largest venue at the 2012 Games. Excel boasts of five different arenas and will play host to sports such as boxing, Judo, table tennis, fencing, Taekwondo and Weightlifting apart from wrestling. There will be a total of 260 competitors among which 156 are men and the rest women. The spectators can be positively content that they are in for a power packed performance this season.
The participants are segregated in to 15 categories (8 men and 7 women). There are 15 medal events and each event comprises of two kinds of lifts. The two types are the Snatch and the Clean and Jerk. In the Snatch, weight has to be lifted above the forehead level at one go while in the Clean and Jerk event, the weight has to be first brought to the shoulder level and then lifted above the head. It is clear that strength and enormous power is required in this sport. Other than that, the players must have great technique as well. Therefore it is a positively content fact that the spectators are in for awesome display of power.
During the Summer Olympic Games in 2012, every lifter is given three chances to attempt the Snatch and the Clean and Jerk event. The best lifts from both the events are added together to get the final score. In case a lifter fails to hoist the bar in three attempts, they are disqualified.
There are two kinds of officials for a weightlifting event. There are three referees to check on the cleanliness of the lift. The Loaders need to ensure that correct discs are placed on the bar.
Apart from getting disqualified failing to lift a weight cleanly, the lifters can also be penalized if proper technique is not used. The lifters can also be penalized for not staring on time. At no point can any portion of the lifter's body touch the ground other then the mat. Therefore, the lifters need to be positively content and cannot relax while giving their performance.