Pathway to Paris 2024: Weightlifting qualification system explained – Part 2
Weightlifting will once again feature at the Olympic Games, with five medal events for both men and women scheduled for Paris 2024.
What is the weightlifting qualification pathway to Paris 2024?
Via Olympic Qualification Ranking (OQR) – 100 athletes, 50 men and 50 women
The weightlifting Paris 2024 qualification period for the OQR begins on 1 August 2022 and concludes on 28 April 2024.
The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) will publish the OQR of each Olympic weight category at the end of the qualification period (…). The OQR will be based on the best total results (snatch, and clean and jerk) the athletes manage to lift in the seven competitions previously mentioned.
One athlete per NOC will be ranked on the OQR, which will be the highest-ranked athlete per NOC in each weight category at Paris 2024.
If two or more athletes record the same total result in the same Olympic weight category, they will be ranked according to whoever achieved the result first.
According to the OQR, the top 10 athletes of each Paris 2024 weight category will be allocated their quota place.
If an athlete ranks in the top 10 of the OQR for more than one weight category, the NOC involved must declare to the IWF which event the athlete will compete in at Paris 2024 by 10 May 2024.
If an NOC has more than three athletes per gender across different weight categories in the top 10 of the OQR, the NOC must declare to the IWF which athletes they decide will be allocated the Olympic quotas.
Via Host Country – four athletes, two men and two women
As the host country, France are guaranteed four quota places in total, two for men and two for women. French weightlifters may obtain quota places through the OQR, as is the case for any other athlete from any other NOC. But if the host country qualifies less than two men and two women through the OQR, they may add additional eligible athletes of their choice to achieve the maximum guaranteed quota places, respecting the maximum athletes per event per NOC.
Via Continental Representation – 10 athletes, five men and five women
In order to achieve the widest possible representation across the IWF recognised Continental Federations (Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, Pan America), one quota place will be distributed to each Olympic weight category using the OQR and the criteria below:
The highest-ranked eligible athlete of a weight category representing an NOC whose continent is not in the Top 10 of her/his weight category, will be allocated a quota place.
In cases where more than one continent is not represented in the Top 10 of a weight category, then the highest-ranked eligible athlete of this weight category representing an NOC from these continents will be allocated a quota place.
If in any Olympic weight category the continental representation is already achieved, then the continental quota place will be reallocated.
Via Universality Places – 6 athletes, three men and three women
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will invite all eligible NOCs to submit their requests for Universality Places. The Tripartite Commission will confirm, in writing, the allocation of Universality Places to the relevant NOCs after the end of the qualification period for the sport concerned.
What is the Paris 2024 weightlifting competition format and schedule?
There will be 10 medal events in the weightlifting competition of Paris 2024 and only four weight categories remain the same as the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Men’s: 61kg; 73kg; 89kg; 102kg; +102kg
Women’s: 49kg; 59kg; 71kg; 81kg; +81kg
*Weight classes marked in bold are the events that are the same as Tokyo 2020.
As with Tokyo 2020, the Paris 2024 weightlifting competition of each weight category will be composed of two events: snatch, and clean and jerk.
For each event, the athletes will have three attempts, with the best result used for the calculation of the total results. The final ranking will be based on the total weight that the athletes manage to lift.
The venue of the competition will be South Paris Arena 6 (Paris Expo), with the competition held from 7-11 August 2024.
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Weightlifting qualification timelines for Paris 2024
1 August 2022 – 28 April 2024: Qualification Period.
15 January 2024: Deadline for NOCs to submit their request for Universality Places.
28 April 2024: Conclusion of OQR.
1 May 2024: IWF notifies the NOCs which have athlete(s) ranked in the top 10 of OQR in more than one bodyweight category to select the bodyweight category in which the athlete(s) will remain in the top 10 of OQR
6 May 2024: The respective NOCs to notify IWF of the selected weight category of those athlete(s) who are ranked in the top 10 positions of OQR in more than one weight category.
8 May 2024: OQR is updated.
10 May 2024: IWF notifies the NOCs that have more eligible athletes than 3 per gender ranked in the top 10 positions of OQR to select the athletes and weight categories that will remain in the top 10 of the OQR, respecting the maximum number of athletes per NOC.
15 May 2024: The respective NOCs to notify IWF of the selected athletes and weight categories that will remain in the top 10 of the OQR, respecting the maximum number of athletes per NOC.
16 May 2024: IWF notifies the NOCs that have more athletes than 3 per gender eligible to obtain a Continental quota place to select the 3 athletes per gender and weight categories that will remain eligible to receive the Continental quota places, respecting the maximum number of athletes per NOC.
23 May 2024: The respective NOCs to notify IWF of the selected athletes and weight categories that will remain eligible to receive the Continental quota places, respecting the maximum number of athletes per NOC.
24 May 2024: IWF publishes the final Qualification Ranking lists and notifies NOCs about the allocated quota places obtained through the top 10 and Continental representation per weight category according to the OQR.
31 May 2024: NOCs to confirm the use of allocated quota places to IWF.
3 June 2024: IWF to confirm to NOCs the reallocation of any unused quota places.
10 June 2024: NOCs to confirm the use of the reallocated quota places to IWF
11 June 2024: IWF notifies the Host Country of the available host country quota places.
12 June 2024: Host Country to confirm the use of host country quota places
12 June 2024: IWF to inform IOC on the available weight categories for Universality Places.
14 June 2024: The Tripartite Commission to confirm in writing the allocation of Universality Places to the NOCs.
14 June 2024: IWF to confirm to NOCs the reallocation of any host country quota places.
21 June 2024: NOCs to confirm the use of reallocated host country quota places to IWF.
21 June 2024: NOCs to confirm the use of allocated Universality Places to IWF.
24 June 2024: IWF to confirm the reallocation of any Universality Places.
1 July 2024: NOCs to confirm the use of reallocated Universality Places to IWF.
8 July 2024: Olympic Games Paris 2024 Sport Entries deadline.
26 July – 11 August 2024: Olympic Games Paris 2024.
Source: MENG Lingcheng – olympics.com