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IOC adds weightlifting classes for 2028 Olympics

Published: 04 Nov. 2025, 19:40

Park Hye-jeong competes in the women’s over-81-kilogram (179-pound) weightlifting event at the 2024 Summer Olympics at South Paris Arena in Paris on Aug. 11, 2024 She lifts a 163-kilogram barbell in her first clean and jerk attempt. [YONHAP]

The total number of weight classes in Olympic weightlifting will increase to 12 at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, according to a decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) announced on Tuesday that the IOC had made an “encouraging decision” to expand the number of weight classes for the LA Games. As a result, the IWF confirmed a total of 12 categories — six each for men and women.

Men will compete in the 65-kilogram (143-pound), 75-kilogram, 85-kilogram, 95-kilogram, 110-kilogram and over-110-kilogram classes, while women will compete in the 53-kilogram, 61-kilogram, 69-kilogram, 77-kilogram, 86-kilogram and over-86-kilogram classes.

At the previous Summer Olympics in Paris in 2024, there were only 10 weightlifting categories: men had 61-kilogram, 73-kilogram, 89-kilogram, 102-kilogram and over-102-kilogram classes, and women had 49-kilogram, 59-kilogram, 71-kilogram, 81-kilogram and over-81-kilogram classes. The addition of one new weight class per gender brings the total to 12 in LA.

Following the IOC's decision, the IWF also announced it would revise the weight class structure used in international competitions, including world championships.

As of June, the IWF had reduced its competition categories from 10 to eight per gender. For international events, men in senior (aged 15 and older) and junior (aged between 15 and 20) groups were split into 60-kilogram, 65-kilogram, 71-kilogram, 79-kilogram, 88-kilogram, 98-kilogram, 110-kilogram and over-110-kilograms, while women competed in 48-kilogram, 53-kilogram, 58-kilogram, 63-kilogram, 69-kilogram, 77-kilogram, 86-kilogram and over-86-kilogram classes.

With the LA Olympics weight classes now finalized, the IWF has realigned its global body weight competition structure accordingly. Starting Aug. 1, 2026, IWF-sanctioned events will adopt the new categories.

“To avoid confusion from changing weight categories midseason, we will apply the new weight classes set for the LA Olympics to all domestic competitions next year,” the Korea Weightlifting Federation said.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PIH JU-YOUNG [[email protected]]