New weight classes for Paris 2024
In 2022, the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) announced a reduction in the total number of Olympic medal events from 14 at the Tokyo Games to 10 at the Paris Games. Four weight categories were carried over from Tokyo, while six are new to the Olympic program. The full list of weight categories for the Paris Olympics is as follows:
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| *61kg (134 lbs.) | *49kg (108 lbs.) | ||
| *73kg (160 lbs.) | *59kg (130 lbs.) | ||
| 89kg (196 lbs.) | 71kg (156 lbs.) | ||
| 102kg (224 lbs.) | 81kg (178 lbs.) | ||
| 102+kg (224+ lbs.) | 81+kg (178+ lbs.) |
*Weight category carried over from the Tokyo Olympics.
Total number of athletes reduced
In addition to reducing the number of medal events, the IWF also decreased the maximum amount of competitors per event from 14 to 12. As a result, the total number of weightlifting athletes at the Paris Olympics will be reduced from 196 to 120.
Elimination of group format
At past Olympics, including most recently at the Tokyo Games, events were divided into two separate sessions in order to streamline the pace of the competition. The first session would feature a B group comprised of the athletes with the lowest personal records, while the second session would feature the A group and often include the eventual medalists. In conjunction with the reduction in number of athletes per event, this practice of dividing competitors into separate groups has been eliminated for the Paris Games. Instead, all 12 competitors will participate in a single "final" session, in which all medals will be awarded.