How is a weightlifting record set?
I · Intermediate · Equipment, kit and officials · 7 of 7Records are kept for the snatch, the clean and jerk and the total, in each bodyweight category and age group. A new record must beat the old one by at least 1 kg. If two lifters reach the same new mark, the record belongs to the one who lifted it first.
How it works
- Three records per category: the snatch, the clean and jerk and the total.
- The margin: a record "exceeds the previous record by a minimum of one (1) kg". Fractions of a kilogram are not permitted.
- First to lift: the first lifter to set the record holds it. If two or more reach the same result, the one who completed the lift first is the holder, whatever the order of the groups.
- Own category only: a record is registered in the lifter's bodyweight category and cannot be carried to the next category up, even if that record is lower.
- Age groups above: a lifter may set a record in older age groups in the same bodyweight category if the lift beats the mark there.
- Tested equipment: the discs and bar must have been tested and the scales certified.
- Three referees: in the British rule book a national record cannot be set at a club-level event unless three referees judged the lift.
Tricky cases
A lifter equals the record. Do they share it?
No. A record must exceed the old one by at least 1 kg.
A 16-year-old lifts more than the senior record in their category. Can they hold both?
Yes. A lifter may set records in the age groups above their own, in the same bodyweight category.
Two lifters in different groups both lift a new record weight on the same day. Who holds it?
The one who completed the lift first.
Why the rule exists
A record compares lifts made years and continents apart, so it rests on identical equipment, certified scales and full officiating. The whole-kilogram step and the first-to-lift rule mean a record always has one holder.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| The rule book read | As above. These are British records | BWL 8 |
| World and Olympic records | Governed by the IWF rules. Not read | BWL 8.4.2 |
| Lifts abroad | Records set at the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games and IWF events are recognised as British records | BWL 8.2.1 |
From the rule book
British Weight Lifting Technical and Competition Rules and Regulations (updated 22 July 2026), section 8 and rule 5.1.5. A national rule book that follows the IWF rules. The IWF document itself was not read. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: BWL Technical and Competition Rules and Regulations 2026 (PDF).