IWF120y/47 – 2025: Knowing one of the basic lifts – Snatch

Olympic weightlifting comprises presently two basic lifts, which are performed successively: the athlete first executes up to three Snatch attempts, followed by a maximum of three Clean & Jerk lifts. The Snatch movement has been always linked with weightlifting, being historically known as the “two-hand lift”, or also the “one-motion lift”. In reality, and despite the variety of techniques used throughout the sports’ evolution, the “two-hand” and “one-motion” characteristics always remained at the core of this movement. The main difference over time relates to the way the bar is initially kept overhead – if until the first half of the 20th century, lifters opted for splitting the legs, it soon appeared that a squat position (photo) was preferable, allowing for more stability and more kilos on the bar (as it remains in a lower position when compared with a splitting-leg position). However, both techniques are still permitted today, as described in the 2025 IWF Technical Competition Rules and Regulations: “The barbell is gripped, palms downward and pulled in a single movement from the platform to the full extent of both arms above the head, while either splitting or bending the legs. During this continuous movement upward the barbell should remain close to the body and may slide along the thighs. No part of the body other than the feet may touch the platform during the execution of the Snatch. The athlete may recover in his / her own time, either from a split or a squat position. The lifted weight must be maintained in the final motionless position, with both arms and legs fully extended and feet on the same line and parallel to the plane of the trunk and the barbell”.