Empowered By the Barbell: Weightlifting’s Adaptive Athletes
Five adaptive athletes share their journeys in the sport of weightlifting
The information on this page pertains to athletes wishing to compete at USAW national events. For local competitions, athletes should connect with the meet director for necessary accommodations. No additional forms or procedures must be followed for local competitions.
Qualification Procedure and Process:
Special note:
VISUAL REMINDER CARD
To aide adaptive athletes in reminding technical officials of their disability and necessary accommodations (for example, needing a loud audible down signal), athletes are encouraged to print, carry, and show this card at weigh-ins and before taking the platform for each lift at USAW national meets. This will aid the technical officials in ensuring athletes have the best experience possible while participating.
Addendum to the Technical Rules and Regulations for Adaptive Athletes:
Athletes must reasonably complete the competition lifts - the snatch and the clean and jerk. The snatch and the clean & jerk must be fully locked out overhead and dropped when given the down signal.
Athletes are responsible for informing the meet director and officials of their need for specific accommodations. This notice should be shared reasonably in advance of the event’s verification of final entries. Athletes are encouraged to remind the meet director and officials at weigh-ins about their requested accommodation.
At USA Weightlifting national events, adaptive entry categories are contested in all bodyweight categories in snatch, clean & jerk, and total. The first, second, and third place athletes for each lift, as well as in the total, in each available bodyweight category will be eligible for medals. In addition to the bodyweight division, athletes will be further categorized according to their disability:
Examples of possible accommodations:
Historically, athletes have had past accommodations for strap usage, use of a special bar, noise-cancelling earbuds, and more.
Physical Disability:
Deaf, Deafened, or Hard of Hearing
Visual Impairment:
Intellectual Impairment:
Inquiries on competing as an adaptive athlete can be sent to the national office at usaw@usaweightlifting.org | Competition rules and event policies are available here.