Weightlifting is a sport in which athletes compete in lifting a barbell loaded with weight plates from the ground to overhead, with the aim of successfully lifting the heaviest weights. Athletes compete in two specific ways of lifting the barbell overhead. The snatch is a wide-grip lift, in which the weighted barbell is lifted overhead in one motion. The clean and jerk is a combination lift, in which the weight is first taken from the ground to the front of the shoulders, and then from the shoulders to over the head.
Ilya Aleksandrovich Ilyin is a retired Kazakhstani weightlifter who won four world championships. On 12 December, 2015 at the President's Cup in Grozny, Russia, Ilyin set two world records in the −105 kg class. He lifted 246 kg in the clean and jerk and 437 kg in the total. Ilyin was named IWF World Weightlifter of the Year four times: in 2005, 2006, 2014, and 2015.
Nauru competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics, that were celebrated in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. Nauru was represented by the Nauru Olympic Committee, and was the only nation out of 204 participating nations and territories that sent only a single athlete, and was one of 117 that won no medals at the Games. The sole athlete to represent the nation was Itte Detenamo, who participated in the weightlifting, and was the flag bearer in both the opening and closing ceremonies. This was the same number of athletes as at the 1996 Olympics, when Marcus Stephen represented the country in the same sport, but was a decrease from the nation's last appearance at the Games when three athletes were sent to Athens. Nauru earned a berth for the weightlifting event in the Oceania and South Pacific Olympic Weightlifting Championships in 2008 and a chance to send participants in swimming and athletics events, but chose to send only a weightlifter. Itte Detenamo competed in the Group B of heavyweight class, fifteenth and last event of the weightlifting. He did not earn a medal, but finished with a personal best.
The World Weightlifting Championships is an international weightlifting competition, currently held annually by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF). The predecessor organization of the IWF was founded in 1905, but World Championship events began before its foundation. The first recognized World Championship event was held in 1891, and was won by Edward Lawrence Levy of England.
Kianoush Rostami is an Iranian Kurdish Olympian weightlifter. He competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics, in the 85 kg event, winning the gold medal and setting a new world record with a total lift of 396 kilograms.
Chen Lijun is a Chinese weightlifter, Olympic Champion, four time World Champion and two time Asian Champion competing in the 62 kg division until 2018 and 67 kg starting in 2018 after the International Weightlifting Federation reorganized the categories.
Lasha Talakhadze is a Georgian weightlifter, holding the all-time world records regardless of weight category in the snatch, the clean and jerk and the total since 2021.
Mönkhjantsangiin Ankhtsetseg is a Mongolian weightlifter, competing in the 69 kg category and representing Mongolia at international competitions. She won the gold medal in the women's 87 kg event at the 2021 World Weightlifting Championships held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Martha Ann "Mattie" Rogers is an American Olympic weightlifter. She is a four-time silver medalist at the World Weightlifting Championships. She holds the United States record in the snatch, clean & jerk, and total. She competed for the United States at the 2020 Summer Olympics in the 87 kg category.
Adkhamjon Ergashev is an Uzbekistani weightlifter competing in the 62 kg category until 2018, and the 61 kg and 67 kg categories starting in 2018 after the International Weightlifting Federation reorganized the categories.
Serge Tremblay is a Canadian male weightlifter, competing in the 85 kg category and representing Canada at international competitions. He participated at the 1996 Summer Olympics in the 83 kg event. He competed at world championships, most recently at the 2007 World Weightlifting Championships.
Pawel Najdek is a Polish male weightlifter, competing in the +105 kg category and representing Poland at international competitions. He participated at the 2000 Summer Olympics in the +105 kg event and also at the 2004 Summer Olympics in the +105 kg event. He competed at world championships, most recently at the 2005 World Weightlifting Championships.
Viktoriya Yuriïvna Shaimardanova is a Ukrainian weightlifter, competing in the +75 kg category and representing Ukraine at international competitions.
Zlatаn Vanev Vasilev is a Bulgarian male weightlifter, competing in the 85 kg category and representing Bulgaria at international competitions. He participated at the 1996 Summer Olympics in the 70 kg event. He competed at world championships, most recently at the 2002 World Weightlifting Championships.
Kim Hak-bong is a South Korean male weightlifter, competing in the 69 kg category and representing South Korea at international competitions. He participated at the 2000 Summer Olympics in the 69 kg event. He competed at world championships, most recently at the 1999 World Weightlifting Championships.
Nuno Alves is a Portuguese male weightlifter, competing in the 62 kg category and representing Portugal at international competitions. He participated at the 1996 Summer Olympics in the 59 kg event. He competed at world championships, most recently at the 1998 World Weightlifting Championships.
Bozhidar Dimitrov Andreev is a Bulgarian male weightlifter, and European Champion competing in the 77 kg category until 2018 and 73 kg starting in 2018 after the International Weightlifting Federation reorganized the categories.
Akbar Djuraev is an Uzbekistani weightlifter, Olympic Champion and Junior World Champion. He won the gold medal in the men's 109 kg event at the 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan. He also won the gold medal in the men's 109 kg event at the 2021 World Weightlifting Championships held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Pak Jong-ju is a North Korean weightlifter competing in the 69 kg and 62 kg categories until 2018 and 67 kg starting in 2018 after the International Weightlifting Federation reorganized the categories.
Lebanon competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Originally scheduled to take place from 24 July to 9 August 2020, the Games were postponed to 23 July to 8 August 2021, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lebanon
