Rules
Competitors are required to lift a bar - varying in size for men (20kg) and women (15kg) - fitted with different weight discs on each end dependant on category and competition level.
There are two different types of lifts - the Snatch and the Clean and Jerk.
Each competitor has three attempts at each weight. The highest successful lift for each weight is tallied to determine the final score.
All lifts must be completed with two hands.
Each competitor has sixty seconds to complete the lift, beginning immediately after their name is called. A thirty-second-mark warning tone lets competitors know how much time remains. If the competitor fails to lift the bar from the platform by the end of the 60 seconds, it is declared a ‘no lift’ by the judges.
Three judges are present and each judge must signal their approval of the lift.
First, second and third place winners are selected for each event. Should two competitors who are in the same class draw, the one with the lowest bodyweight will be declared the winner. If they both have the same bodyweight, the competitor who lifted first is declared the winner.
For EAD athletes who compete in the bench press, a successful lift occurs when the competitor raises the bar from chest height to above the head, with fully extended arms.
The Snatch
The bar must be lifted from the platform to full arms length over the head in one single, fluid movement.
The bar must be returned to the platform in a controlled manner.
The Clean and Jerk
There are two lifts in the Clean and Jerk. The first is the initial lift of the bar from the platform to the shoulders in one fluid movement - this is called the ‘clean’. The 'jerk' is the second movement, where the competitor lifts the bar over their head, also in one fluid movement.
Equipment
Barbell
The barbell has three parts - the bar, the weight discs and the collar.
Bar
Weights in the men’s competition are 20kg with a length of 2.2m, whereas weights in the women’s competition are 15kg with a length of 2.01m.