Weightlifting contests have been held since ancient times, when they were popular in Egypt and Greece, but it was not until the late 19th century that the practice was developed as a sport, especially in Europe. It was present at the first Olympic Games of the modern era, in Greece in 1896, when it was included the gymnastics schedule, and became a permanent part of the Olympic programme at the Antwerp 1920 Games. Eighty years later, at the Sydney 2000 Games, women’s weightlifting made its Olympic debut.

The weightlifting competition is divided into two lifts: the snatch, and the clean and jerk. In the first, contestants must lift, in a single movement, a steel bar with weights on either end (the barbell) from the ground to above the head and hold it with locked arms for up to two seconds. The clean and jerk is a composite of two movements. In the clean movement the athlete lifts the barbell from the floor to the shoulders. The jerk sees the lifter raise the bar above their head, keeping the arms and legs outstretched. After three attempts at each lift, the heaviest weights lifted by the athlete in each section are added together to determine the overall results.

Although the Soviet Union ceased to exist in 1991, the nation still leads the Olympic weightlifting medal table, with 38 golds, 21 silvers and two bronzes. China is the most likely nation to surpass the Soviet record, the East Asian country currently on 29 golds, 17 silvers and eight bronzes. The United States is third with 17 golds, 16 silvers and 11 bronzes.

The individual medal record is held by Greece’s Pyrros Dimas, who won the gold at Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000, plus a bronze at Athens 2004.

Powerlifting, which has been part of the Paralympic Games since Tokyo 1964 (when it was still called Paralympic weightlifting), is contested by athletes with different types of impairments – from leg amputation to cerebral palsy. It is the ultimate test of upper body strength. The competitor lies on a bench and lifts the barbell in a bench press movement: the movement starts when the bar is taken away from the rack – with or without assistance – leaving the arms completely extended. The athletes flex their arms to allow the bar to descend to the chest, and then raise it up again to the initial position, finalising the movement. Three attempts are allowed and the best result is counted. Athletes can make a fourth lift if a world record is being attempted.

Jian Wang has helped put China top of the powerlifting medal table (Photo: Getty Images/Jamie McDonald)

China leads the Paralympic Games powerlifting medal table with 24 golds, 15 silvers and 18 bronzes, followed by Egypt with 19 golds, 23 silvers and 16 bronzes, and Nigeria, which has 15 golds, 13 silvers and 10 bronzes.

China’s Fu Taoying, who has won gold medals in the last four editions of the Paralympic Games, is the most successful powerlifter, ahead of Egyptian Ahmed Gomma, who has three golds and a silver, and Jian Wang of China, who has one gold, one silver and two bronzes.