Weightlifting
Big weights, big lifts and often even bigger emotions are on show as the Commonwealth’s strongest men and women compete for one of the sport’s greatest prizes, across a range of weight categories.
When it comes to securing medals, every lift counts and the stage, as well as the scoreboard, become tactical battlegrounds for gold.
Athletes compete in two disciplines — the snatch and the clean and jerk — and perform three lifts in each.
The snatch sees the lifter pick up the barbell with a wide grip and raise it overhead in one fluid motion.
In the clean and jerk, the lifter first brings the bar to their chest (clean), pauses, then drives it overhead (jerk) with locked elbows. They must hold it steady until the buzzer sounds.
Lifters get three snatch attempts and three clean and jerk attempts. Weights increase throughout the competition and athletes must tactically select what to go for at each stage, often impacted by the choices of their nearest rivals.
The combined total of each lifter’s best snatch and best clean and jerk determines the winner.
Para Powerlifting
Para Powerlifting is the ultimate test of upper body strength, with athletes competing in the bench press discipline.
Athletes must lower the bar to their chest, hold it motionless, then press it upwards to full arm extension with locked elbows.
Three international referees instantly decide the outcome using a system of white and red lights:
- Two or more white lights = a good lift
- Two or more red lights = no lift
Each lifter has three attempts. The athlete who lifts the heaviest successful weight wins.
A fourth attempt may be granted (at the jury’s discretion) for a world record, but it doesn't count towards final rankings.
Such is the strength on show that it’s not uncommon for Para Powerlifters to lift more than three times their body weight.
All athletes competing in the Para Powerlifting event have an impairment in their lower limbs or hips that meets the minimum impairment criteria to compete.
Unlike other para sports, Para Powerlifting does not use multiple functional sport classes: athlete compete based on gender and weight.
Did you know?
- Australia leads the all-time medal Commonwealth Games medal table with 160 honours (59 gold), ahead of India (133/46) and England (121/46).
- Weightlifting was introduced to the Commonwealth Games programme at Auckland 1950, but only featured the Men’s disciplines until Manchester 2002, which saw Women’s categories included for the first time.
- Manchester 2002 also saw Men’s Para Powerlifting debut at the Games, with the Women’s side of the sport added at Delhi 2010. Today, it’s one of the fastest-growing Para sports on the global stage.
- In 2016, Siamand Rahman set the Para Powerlifting world record with a lift of 310kg — roughly the weight of a grand piano!
