They found some old Russian lifters, in town for a weightlifters' conference, and spent the rest of the night with them. Because Lukin had grabbed defeat from an American, the Russians treated the Australians like heroes. The phone call woke Paul Coffa early. Sydney is the first Olympic Games where women will compete. Each event has two disciplines, the clean and jerk, and the snatch.
Most competitors lift more in the clean and jerk than in the snatch.
Competitors get three lifts in both disciplines, with the best result in each added together for the total. If there is a tie, the lifter with the lightest weight is declared the winner. Peter Bowers is a former political commentator and Olympics writer for The Sydney Morning Herald. Get start lists and fast results for Weightlifting. Find out why Turkey s three-time Olympic gold medallist Naim Suleymanoglu is no ordinary weightlifter.