Weightlifting has been on the program of the Olympic Games every year except for 1900, 1908 and 1912.

The Olympic weightlifting program has developed a great deal throughout the decades. Today lifters compete in the snatch and the clean and jerk and are classified according to their combined total result. At the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, men competed in eight bodyweight categories: up to 56kg, 62kg, 69kg, 77kg, 85kg, 94kg, 105kg and +105kg. Women participated in seven categories: up to 48kg, 53kg, 58kg, 63kg, 69kg, 75kg, and +75kg. The program of events for the 2008 Beijing Games is the same.

The most successful Olympic weightlifters of all time are Naim Süleymanoglu and Halil Mutlu of Turkey, Pyrros Dimas, and Kakhi Kakhiasvillis of Greece, each of whom won three Olympic titles. Hungary's Imre Földi, Ronnie Weller and Ingo Steinhöfel hold a special record, being five-times Olympians.

Counting all the 22 Olympic Games, weightlifters representing 32 NOCs have so far won Olympic gold medals. Among the women, seven nations have produced Olympic champions at the last two Games.

(BOCOG)