A weightlifter prepares to attempt a lift. The strongest men and
women on the planet can lift up to three times their own
bodyweight during the course of an Olympic weightlifting
competition. The sport is the purest test of human strength
around, but it also demands superb technique, as competitors
attempt to lift a weighted bar from the ground and raise it
above their heads. There are two techniques seen in an Olympic
weightlifting competition - the snatch and the clean and jerk -
with both being performed with a barbell. The snatch sees the
barbell lifted above the athlete's head in one straight movement
from the ground. The clean and jerk, meanwhile, is a two-stage
lift that enables the athlete to take more weight. The barbell
is first lifted up to shoulder height on the 'clean' portion
before then being 'jerked' to arm's length above the head. Each
athlete has three attempts, but for a lift to count at least two
of the three judges must rule it successful. While each
competitor is allowed to lift the weig