London 2012 Olympic Games: Weightlifting

See weightlifting competitors battle it out in a test of strength at ExCeL London during the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Weightlifting at London 2012

Watch as the world's best weightlifters test their mental and physical ability on the biggest stage, with the aim of securing Olympic gold.

Judged on two types of lift – "the snatch" and "the clean and jerk" – competitors have to lift weights above their head and hold their position for at least two seconds.

The weights become heavier as the competition enters its final stages, with competitors often lifting three times their own weight.

Weightlifting at the London Olympic Games is split into men's and women's contests, within each of which there are weight divisions.

Weightlifting at the Olympic Games

Asian and Eastern European countries have dominated weightlifting in recent years, and the trend continued in the last Olympic Games.

The greatest force at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games was home team China, which won eight of the 15 gold medals on offer.

Vietnam's Hoàng Anh Tuấn won his country's only medal of the 2008 Games with a silver in the men's 56kg, while Kazakhstan, Thailand and North Korea also picked up gold medals.