World weight lifting is overseen by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF; founded 1905). The first men’s international weight lifting competition was held in London in 1891; the sport was also included in the first modern Olympic Games, in Athens in 1896. By the 1930s championship events consisted of the snatch, clean and jerk, and press (which was eliminated in 1972).
Women’s world championships have been held since 1987, and women’s competition was added to the Olympics in 2000. In 1998 the IWF established new weight classes (eight for men and seven for women) as well as a new world standard for each class in determining world records.
Weight Lifting World Records
Total weight for snatch and clean-and-jerk lifts.
|
WEIGHT CLASS |
RECORD HOLDER (COUNTRY) |
PERFORMANCE |
DATE |
|
56 kg (123 lb) |
Halil Mutlu (TUR) |
305 kg (672 lb) |
16 Sep 2000 |
|
62 kg (137 lb) |
Zhang Jie (CHN) |
326 kg (719 lb) |
28 Apr 2008 |
|
69 kg (152 lb) |
Galabin Boevski (BUL) |
357 kg (787 lb) |
24 Nov 1999 |
|
men |
|||
|
WEIGHT CLASS |
RECORD HOLDER (COUNTRY) |
PERFORMANCE |
DATE |
|
77 kg (170 lb) |
Plamen Zhelyazkov (BUL) |
377 kg (831 lb) |
27 Mar 2002 |
|
85 kg (187 lb) |
Lu Yong (CHN); |
394 kg (869 lb) |
15 Aug 2008; |
|
|
Andrei Rybakov (BLR) |
|
15 Aug 2008 |
|
94 kg (207 lb) |
Akakios Kakiasvilis (GRE) |
412 kg (908 lb) |
27 Nov 1999 |
|
105 kg (231.5 lb) |
Andrei Aramnau (BLR) |
436 kg (961 lb) |
18 Aug 2008 |
|
105+ kg (231.5+ lb) |
Hossein Rezazadeh (IRI) |
472 kg (1041 lb) |
26 Sep 2000 |
|
women |
|||
|
WEIGHT CLASS |
RECORD HOLDER (COUNTRY) |
PERFORMANCE |
DATE |
|
48kg (106 lb) |
Yang Lian (CHN) |
217 kg (478 lb) |
1 Oct 2006 |
|
53 kg (117 lb) |
Qiu Hongxia (CHN) |
226 kg (498 lb) |
2 Oct 2006 |
|
58 kg (128 lb) |
ChenYanqing (CHN) |
251 kg (553 lb) |
3 Dec 2006 |
|
63 kg (139 lb) |
Liu Haixia (CHN) |
257 kg (567 lb) |
23 Sep 2007 |
|
69 kg (152 lb) |
Liu Chunhong (CHN) |
286 kg (631 lb) |
13 Aug 2008 |
|
75 kg (165 lb) |
Svetlana Podobedova (RUS) |
286 kg (631 lb) |
2 Jun 2006 |
|
75+ kg (165+ lb) |
Jang Mi Ran (KOR) |
326 kg (719 lb) |
16 Aug 2008 |
World Weight Lifting Champions, 2008 men
|
WEIGHT CLASS |
WINNER (COUNTRY) |
PERFORMANCE |
|
|
56 kg (123 lb) |
Long Qinquan (CHN) |
292 kg (644 |
lb) |
|
62 kg (137 lb) |
Zhang Xiangxiang (CHN) |
319 kg (703 |
lb) |
|
69 kg (152 lb) |
Liao Hui (CHN) |
348 kg (767 |
lb) |
|
77 kg (170 lb) |
Sa Jae Hyouk (KOR) |
366 kg (807 |
lb) |
|
85 kg (187 lb) |
Lu Yong (CHN) |
394 kg (869 |
lb) |
|
94 kg (207 lb) |
Ilya Ilin (KAZ) |
406 kg (895 |
lb) |
|
105 kg (231 lb) |
Andrei Aramnau (BLR) |
436 kg (961 |
lb) |
|
105+ kg (231+ lb) |
Matthias Steiner(GER) |
461 kg (1,016 |
lb) |
|
WEIGHT CLASS |
women WINNER (COUNTRY) |
PERFORMANCE |
|
|
48 kg (106 lb) |
Chen Xiexia (CHN) |
212 kg (467 |
lb) |
|
53 kg (117 lb) |
Prapawadee Jaroenrattanatarakoon (THA) 221 kg (487 |
lb) |
|
|
58 kg (128 lb) |
Chen Yanqing (CHN) |
244 kg (538 |
lb) |
|
63 kg (139 lb) |
Pak Hyon Suk (KOR) |
241 kg (531 |
lb) |
|
69 kg (152 lb) |
Liu Chunhong (CHN) |
286 kg (631 |
lb) |
|
75 kg (165 lb) |
Cao Lei (CHN) |
282 kg (622 |
lb) |
|
75+ kg (165+ lb) |
Jang Mi Ran (KOR) |
326 kg (719 |
lb) |
Cycling as a sport officially began on 31 May 1868, with a 1,200-metre (1,312-yard) race between the fountains and the entrance of Saint-Cloud Park (near Paris). The winner was James Moore, an 18-year-old expatriate Englishman from Paris. On 7 Nov 1869, the first city-to-city race was held between Paris and Rouen, France; again Moore was the winner, covering the 135 km (84 miles) in 10 hours 25 minutes, including time spent walking his bicycle up the steeper hills.
1 The victory for Bjarne Riis (DEN) was invalidated after he admitted to using illegal performance-enhancing drugs. 2Floyd Landis (USA) was stripped of the title after he was found to have illegal performance-enhancing drugs in his system. His last appeal against the ruling was rejected in June 2008.
2 No competition in 1891-93. 2Run in two divisions in 1918 because of the large number of starters. 3Fastest time—1 min 53 % sec.
