C'est parti! Get your bagels and your barbells ready… we’re counting down to a weightlifting spectacle at this year’s Olympic Games!
The weightlifting competitions at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris are shaping up to be an exciting display of skill and strength. With significant changes in the weightlifting program and fierce competition expected, we are eagerly anticipating the performances of some incredible athletes.
In this article, we’ll give you an update on the new format of the competition, and we’ll also explore some of the history and the prospects for both the Chinese and Australian weightlifting teams.
CHANGES TO THE OLYMPIC WEIGHTLIFTING PROGRAM
Several significant changes have been instituted in the weightlifting program for Paris 2024. The number of categories has been trimmed from fourteen in Tokyo to ten. A reduced total of 120 weightlifters, with an equal split between men and women, will compete in each of the ten weight classes, a significant drop from a full roster size of 196 at the previous Games.
To qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in weightlifting, athletes must be born on or before December 31, 2009, and participate in key competitions, including the 2023 IWF World Championships and the 2024 IWF World Cup. They must also compete in at least three out of five specified events leading up to the Olympics.
The qualification process involves the Olympic Qualification Ranking (OQR), where 100 athletes (50 men and 50 women) will be selected based on their performance in seven designated competitions. The top-ranked athlete from each National Olympic Committee (NOC) in each weight category will qualify. If multiple athletes have the same result, the one who achieved it first will be ranked higher.
France, as the host country, is guaranteed four quota places (two men and two women). Additional quota places will be allocated based on continental representation (Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, Pan America), with one quota place per weight category for underrepresented continents.
CHINESE OLYMPIC WEIGHTLIFTING
Here at LUXIAOJUN Australia, we’re proud of our connection to the legendary Chinese lifter that has produced some of the best weightlifting shoes that you can get your hands on. Apart from Lu Xiaojun’s tremendous personal achievements, China's weightlifting team has an impressive Olympic resume, consistently dominating the sport with remarkable performances.
In 2020, at the Tokyo Olympics, Chinese weightlifters secured a total of seven gold medals, two silver medals, and one bronze medal. This achievement built on their success from the 2016 Rio Olympics, where they claimed five gold medals, two silver medals, and one bronze medal.
Of course, Lu Xiaojun himself has been a key figure in this weightlifting success story. Lu’s accomplishments include winning the gold medal in the men's 77kg weightlifting event at the 2012 London Olympics, setting a world record in the process. In the 2016 Rio Olympics, he won the silver medal in the same weight category. Lu then went on to win the gold medal in the men's 81kg weightlifting event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, solidifying his status as one of the greatest weightlifters of all time.
PREPARATION FOR THE 2024 OLYMPICS
The final qualifying competition for Paris 2024 was the IWF World Cup in Phuket, Thailand, which was held from March 31 to April 11. The Chinese weightlifting team concluded its World Cup campaign on a positive note with Li Wenwen's victory in the women's +87kg category.
However, their overall performance indicates challenges ahead in replicating their Tokyo 2020 success at this year’s Games. Despite winning four categories in Phuket, including men's 61kg and 102kg, and women's 59kg and +87kg, some of their Tokyo gold medallists, such as Shen Lijun, Shi Zhiyong, and Wang Zhouyu, faced setbacks due to injuries, weight class changes, or the emergence of new talent*.
Despite these setbacks, we know the Chinese team will be hard at work to address any issues and to stir up their fighting spirit ahead of the August competition in Paris.
AUSTRALIANS IN THE PARIS OLYMPICS
Australia's weightlifting team is also gearing up for Paris 2024. Fijian-born Eileen Cikamatana competed well at the IWF World Cup 2024 in Thailand, finishing 5th in the 81kg category. Cikamatana now has her eyes on the Paris podium, hoping to back up her gold medal performances at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Kyle Bruce lifted in the 89kg division at the World Cup and is a strong contender for Oceania in the men’s OQR. In the 71kg women’s category, LUXIAOJUN athlete Jacqueline Nichele is also expected to secure a place in the Paris Games, with the final OQR processes set to be completed at the end of May*.
AUSTRALIA’S OLYMPIC MEDAL HISTORY
While Australians are known more for our swimming than our lifting at the Games, we do have a few medals to celebrate in our Olympic history.
Australia's journey in Olympic weightlifting began in 1948 when we sent our first weightlifters to the London Games. Our maiden medal came four years later in Helsinki, where Vern Barberis won a bronze in the lightweight category.
Three decades later at the Los Angeles 1984 Games, Dean Lukin clinched gold in the super heavyweight division and Robert Kabbas took silver in the light heavyweight category. Lukin's victory was somewhat aided by the boycott of the Games by the Eastern Bloc countries, which removed many strong contenders from the competition. In 1996, Stefan Botev added to our medal tally with a bronze in the super heavyweight category at the Atlanta Games.
LIGHT THE TORCH – LET’S LIFT
The Olympic weightlifting competition is set to run from August 7-11, and we can’t wait to watch the action unfold!
Feeling inspired about your own lifting game? Maybe it’s time to get some champion-style weightlifting shoes from our LUXIAOJUN store… go for gold with these shiny lifters, or select your personal favourite from our full range of colours.
If you want to know why weightlifters wear the footwear they do, you can read our explainer article here.
Happy lifting!
- *References: Olympics.com, People’s Daily Online, Australian Weightlifting Federation