Summer Olympics 2000 Weightlifting Fan Guide

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Tuesday, September 19
Weightlifting Fan Guide

Olympic competition dates: Sept. 16-26
Venue: Sydney Convention Centre, Darling Harbour

The outlook
The women's competition makes its Olympics debut. Men's weightlifting was part of the 1896 Games in Athens and became a full member sport in 1920. Turkey's Naim Suleymanoglu, known as Pocket Hercules, retired after winning his third gold in the Atlanta Games, only to unexpectedly announce that at 38 years old he would try for a fourth gold medal at 137} pounds (62kg), something no one has ever done. He stands at only 4-foot-11.

The finer points
Format: The athlete who lifts the highest total weight in two categories, snatch (performed in one continuous movement with the bar being brought from the platform to a position overhead) and clean-and-jerk. In the clean-and-jerk, the lifter pulls the bar to waist level, then pulls his body beneath the bar, securing the bar on his shoulders or chest, and stands erect, and finally he thrusts the bar from his shoulders to a position overhead and awaits the referee's signal to lower the bar. In case of a tie, the lifter with the lower body weight wins.

Rules changes: Seven weight divisions have been determined for women at Sydney as well as eight new men's divisions. Men will compete at 56kg, 62kg, 69kg, 77kg, 85kg, 94kg, 105kg, and more than 105kg. Women will compete at 48kg, 53kg, 58kg, 63kg, 69kg, 75kg or more than 75kg. Because the categories have changed the 2000 Olympics will establish all new records.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.