With its origins reaching back to the Olympic games of Ancient Greece where some form of it has been practiced continually for thousands of years. In 1896, it was included as one of the competitions in the first modern Olympic Games. It has since then continued to be an important part of the athletic pride of countries all over the world.

Olympic Weight Lifting is comprised of two movements, the Snatch and the Clean and Jerk. The Snatch is a single movement which tests the athlete's gymnastic ability. Whereas the Clean and Jerk has been used as a means to test an athlete's strength.