MAIN Sports 2012 Summer Olympics Weightlifting

Watching a well-muscled body straining under weights that seem impossible to lift leaves you in awe at the power of the human will.

Weightlifting is a sport that shows more than technical ability. It is a triumph of body and mind that few other sports can so clearly spotlight.

As you watch, you find your own body tensing in sympathy with the struggle. You share the relief when the weight is conquered... or the disappointment of a failed attempt.

Weightlifting events at the Summer Olympics features two types of lift, the snatch, and the "clean-and-jerk".

In the snatch, the weight is lifted from the floor in one swift movement. The clean and jerk is a two-stage movement in which the bar is lifted to the shoulders before being jerked over the head.

Weights lifted during Olympic competition are separated into various classes ranging from 123 lbs to 231 lbs. and over for men; and from 106 lbs to over 165 lbs for women.

The heaviest weight ever lifted in Olympic competition? That record is held by Iranian lifter Hossein Rezazadeh who at the 2004 Games clean-and-jerked an incredible 580 lbs.

More about Olympic weightlifting around the Web:

International Olympic Committee - Weightlifting - The overview of the sport combined with the latest news from the Games is backed up by in depth looks at some of the athletes and lots of other interesting sections to visit.

International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) - Expect comprehensive coverage of the Olympics on this site of the international governing organization. This is probably the best information about the rules and technical aspects of the sport available.

Olympic Weighlifting on the Web! O WOW! - And that's exactly what you'll say when you see the information that is collected on this site. Olympic records and just about any link to weightlifting information anywhere in the world.

USA Weightlifting - The home of the US weightlifting team offers information on everything you need to follow the Games with the US team.

BBC Olympics Weightlifting - Updated reports on weightlifting events with a good history of the sport and a beginner's guide for anyone thinking about really getting involved.