A competitive sport involving two specific lifts - the snatch and clean & jerk - where athletes attempt to lift maximum weight overhead, emphasizing technique, speed, and explosive power.
Compound from 'weight' (Old English 'wiht' meaning heaviness) and 'lifting' (Old Norse 'lypta'). Modern Olympic weightlifting developed from strongman exhibitions in the late 1800s, becoming an Olympic sport in 1896 with standardized rules and techniques.
Olympic weightlifting is often called 'the sport of kings' because it demands the perfect combination of strength, speed, flexibility, and technique - elite weightlifters can generate more power per pound of body weight than any other athletes!
Weightlifting was coded masculine for much of 20th century; women were discouraged from strength training. Marketing, gyms, and media reinforced 'lifting is for men' through the 1980s.
Present weightlifting as inclusive sport/practice. Avoid pairing it exclusively with masculine aesthetics or 'male-coded' strength narratives.
["strength training","resistance training","athletic training"]
Women olympians and competitive female weightlifters (including trans and non-binary athletes) have reclaimed strength training; celebrate diverse bodies and identities in lifting.
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