Competitions

To enter a competition, you firstly need to ensure you have a membership in place. Visit our Individual Memberships page to learn more.

Once you have your membership, you can take a look at our event calendar and click on the event that you would like to enter. Alternatively take a look at the British Weight Lifting Competition calendar, as all Weightlifting Wales events are listed here and you will need to enter a competition via the British Weight Lifting Sport80 system.

When you are finding a competition to enter, make note of the 'entry deadline' date. Competition entries will usually close around a month prior to the event, sometimes even longer, so make sure you check this information to avoid missing out.

Prior to any competition, you should make sure you are familiar with the rules and regulations of competing, you can find out more about the technical rules on the British Weight Lifting website.

All competitors must comply with the anti-doping rules and WW events are registered with UKAD, meaning any competitor at any level and age may be drug tested in competition. For information about anti-doping, visit the anti-doping page on this website and the UKAD website.

Coaches will need to have in place a current membership with British Weight Lifting, a Level 2 Weightlifting qualification, an enhanced DBS and we highly recommend all coaches attend a safeguarding course.

Coach Licensing

Coach Education

Find safeguarding courses

RECORDS

Welsh records will only be accepted from Tier 1, Tier 2 and international competitions. Tier 3 results will not be accepted

WHAT TO WEAR

At Development Age Group and Tier 3 club competitions, lifters may compete in shorts and T-shirt.

After progressing to Tier 2 (Home Nations) and Tier 1 (British) competitions lifters must wear a weightlifting costume (leotard) which complies with the following criteria:

• Must be one piece
• Must be collarless
• May be of any colour
• Must not cover the knees
• Must not cover the elbows

More information can be found in the Technical and Competition Rules and Regulations

If you want to compete, here is what you need to do:

Step 1: Enter a competition via BWL Sport80 System

Step 2: Check your emails and the website for updates on the schedule for your competition, and what time your weigh-in is (this should be 2 hours before your competition start time)

Step 3: Arrive at the venue for your weigh-in. You will need: some form of ID (if you are under 18, a birth certificate will suffice if you do not have any other form of ID).

Weight classes:

Women: 45kg, 49kg, 55kg, 59kg, 64kg, 71kg, 76kg, 81kg, 87kg, 87kg +

Men: 55kg, 61kg, 67kg, 73kg, 81kg, 89kg, 96kg, 102kg, 109kg, 109kg+

You will need to have an idea of your 'opening attempts' for the Snatch and Clean and Jerk, to declare in the weigh-in- ask your coach if you are unsure!

Under 18's must weigh-in in their competition clothes. All lifters may take a chaperone into weigh-in if they wish to.

If a lifter fails to weigh within their declared weight class, they may still be allowed to participate in the event as a guest. If a lifter anticipates prior to the event that they will not make weight, they should notify the competition organisers as soon as possible. Depending on the level of competition, sometimes a lifter may not be able to compete at all if they do not make weight in the category they have selected in the registration process.

Step 4: Re-fuel and prepare! Now you will have some time before your competition starts. This is usually the time where lifters will get some food and hydrate, ready for their competition.

Step 5: Enter the warm-up area. You will find a platform in here where you can warm-up to your opening attempt in the competition.

Remember: ALL coaches will need a license & DBS in order to coach lifters in the warm-up room and should collect their wristband from the organisers on arrival.

Step 6: Presentation: there will be a presentation 10 minutes before the first lifter in your competition is called for their opening attempt. Lifters will be lined up by an official and led onto the platform to be presented to the spectators, before being led back to the warm-up room to continue their preparations.

Step 7: The competition starts once the 10 minute clock reaches zero following the athlete presentation. The lifter with the lightest opening weight will be called for their first attempt, their 1 minute clock will begin and the competition will continue on a rising bar.

Weightlifting Competition
Lifters have three attempts in the Snatch, and three in the Clean and Jerk. A lifter's best attempts in each discipline are combined to give a total, on which the ranking of the competition is based.

Women will compete using a 15kg bar and men will compete using a 20kg bar. The lifter must begin their lift, with the bar passing the knees before the timer runs out. The referees will signal to the lifter when to put the bar down when they are satisfied the lift is complete and they will signal using a light system whether the lift was a 'good' or a 'no' lift. If a lifter receives two or more white lights, this is a 'good lift', if the lifter receives two or more red lifts, this is a 'no lift'.

If a lifter fails to register a successful attempt in either the Snatch or the Clean and Jerk, they will not receive a total and therefore will not be ranked in the competition.

There will usually be a 10 minute break between the Snatch and the Clean and Jerk part of the competition unless otherwise announced.

The winner of the competition is the lifter who registers the highest total. If two lifters reach the same total, then the lifter who achieved this first in the competition will be the winner.

TIP: There are various rules that lifters must comply with in a competition, including technical rules that the lifts will be judged on by the referees. To check out all the rules in Weightlifting, including what you can and cannot wear in competition, click here.

Powerlifting Competition

In Para Powerlifting, lifters compete in the Bench Press. Lifters compete in Weight categories:

• Men compete in the 49kg, 54kg, 59kg, 65kg, 72kg, 80kg, 88kg, 97kg, 107kg and +107kg divisions.

• Women compete in the 41kg, 45kg, 50kg, 55kg, 61kg, 67kg, 73kg, 79kg, 86kg and +86kg divisions.

In powerlifting, male and female athletes assume a supine position on a specially designed bench, and after taking or receiving the bar at arms-length, the lifter shall wait with locked elbows and the bar under control for the Chief Referee's signal.

After receiving the signal "start", the lifter must lower the bar to the chest, hold it motionless (visible) on the chest and then press it upwards evenly, with an even equal extension of both the arms with locked elbows.

When held motionless and controlled in this position, the audible signal "rack" shall be given and the bar is returned to the rack.

Then an immediate decision shall be given by the three referees through a system of white and red lights. Two or more white lights signify a good lift and two or more red lifts reflect a no lift.

Each athlete has three attempts.

To check our all the rules in Para Powerlifting, click here.