Weightlifting at the Olympic Games
Weightlifting · the IOC, with the International Weightlifting Federation
2024LatestParis 2024: 10 events (5 men's, 5 women's); China won 5 golds
Weightlifting was held at Athens 1896 and St. Louis 1904, and at every Games since Antwerp 1920; women's events joined at Sydney 2000.
- Next
- Los Angeles 2028
- Most golds (nation)
- China, 43; then the Soviet Union, 39
- India
- 2 medals, both women's: Karnam Malleswari, bronze (2000); Mirabai Chanu, silver (2020)
- Cycle
- Every four years
India at the Olympic Games
| Games | Event | Medal | Lifter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney 2000 | Women's 69 kg | Bronze | Karnam Malleswari |
| Tokyo 2020 | Women's 49 kg | Silver | Mirabai Chanu |
More about this tournament
Paris 2024 champions
| Section | Event | Champion |
|---|---|---|
| Men | 61 kg | Li Fabin (China) |
| Men | 73 kg | Rizki Juniansyah (Indonesia) |
| Men | 89 kg | Karlos Nasar (Bulgaria) |
| Men | 102 kg | Liu Huanhua (China) |
| Men | +102 kg | Lasha Talakhadze (Georgia) |
| Women | 49 kg | Hou Zhihui (China) |
| Women | 59 kg | Luo Shifang (China) |
| Women | 71 kg | Olivia Reeves (United States) |
| Women | 81 kg | Solfrid Koanda (Norway) |
| Women | +81 kg | Li Wenwen (China) |
Medal table (1896 to 2024, top 10)
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 43 | 16 | 8 | 67 |
| 2 | Soviet Union | 39 | 21 | 2 | 62 |
| 3 | United States | 17 | 17 | 14 | 48 |
| 4 | Bulgaria | 13 | 17 | 9 | 39 |
| 5 | Iran | 9 | 6 | 5 | 20 |
| 6 | France | 9 | 3 | 3 | 15 |
| 7 | Turkey | 8 | 1 | 2 | 11 |
| 8 | Germany | 6 | 7 | 7 | 20 |
| 9 | Poland | 6 | 6 | 22 | 34 |
| 10 | Greece | 6 | 5 | 4 | 15 |
History
How it began
Athens 1896 held a one-hand and a two-hand lift; St. Louis 1904 a two-hand lift and an all-around dumbbell contest. Weight classes began at Antwerp 1920.
Champions by era
The Soviet Union won 39 golds at the Games from 1952 to 1988. China leads the all-time table with 43 golds and won half the events at Paris 2024.
India's story
Karnam Malleswari's bronze at Sydney 2000, in the first Olympic women's competition, was India's first weightlifting medal. Mirabai Chanu won silver at Tokyo 2020.
Firsts and facts
- First Games with weightlifting: Athens 1896.
- Not held: Paris 1900, London 1908, Stockholm 1912.
- Women's weightlifting first held: Sydney 2000.
- India's first medal: Karnam Malleswari, 2000.