How do you win in weightlifting?
B · Beginner · The lifts and winning · 1 of 6Each lifter has three attempts at the snatch and then three at the clean and jerk. The best successful snatch and the best successful clean and jerk are added to give the total, in kilograms. Within each bodyweight category, the lifter with the highest total wins.
How it works
- Two lifts, in order: the snatch first, then the clean and jerk. Both are done with two hands.
- Three attempts: a maximum of three in each lift.
- The total: "the aggregate of the best Snatch and the best Clean & Jerk results".
- Who you lift against: lifters in the same bodyweight category, men and women separately.
- No total, no place: a lifter with no successful snatch may still go on to the clean and jerk but does not receive a final placing.
- Medals: in the rule book read for this page, medals are presented for the total only.
- Whole kilograms: the weight on the bar is always a multiple of 1 kg, so totals are whole numbers.
Tricky cases
Does the average of the three attempts matter?
No. Only the best successful attempt in each lift counts towards the total.
A lifter misses all three snatches. Can they still lift in the clean and jerk?
Yes. They may continue to the clean and jerk, but they will not receive a final placing.
Two lifters finish on the same total. Who wins?
The rule book read for this page does not say.
Why the rule exists
The two lifts test different things: the snatch speed and precision, the clean and jerk raw strength. Adding the best of each finds the best all-round lifter, and taking only the best attempt lets lifters gamble on a heavy third lift without losing what they have already made.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| The rule book read | As above | BWL 2.1; BWL Definitions (Total); BWL 6.6.25; BWL 6.9.3 |
| International championships | Medals are also widely reported to be given for the snatch and the clean and jerk separately at world and continental championships, with the total alone at the Olympic Games | C |
| Ties on the total | Not covered in the rule book read | C |
| Comparing across categories | Formulas such as the Sinclair score are used. The rule book read uses it only to separate clubs | BWL 6.8.3.5 |
From the rule book
British Weight Lifting Technical and Competition Rules and Regulations (updated 22 July 2026), Definitions and rules 2.1, 6.6.3, 6.6.25 and 6.9. 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).