Topic: height in relation to weightclass

[cathal byrd]

im just wondering wat the average heights of weightlifters are in relation to their bodyweight? particularly in relation to the 69kg and 77kg weight classes as this is where i compete. i currently weigh 72kg at a height of 5f 7 and find it relatively easy to drop down to 69kg for comps. is 5f 7 around the average height of top 69kg lifters?

[Jake Harrison]

i dont really think it matters, but i see what you mean, but ya 5'7 and 69 is fine i think, im 5'8 and the lowest that ive been in the past few years is 71 kg. im much higher now but when i really cut down thats what i was about 1.5 years ago.

[cathal byrd]

thanks for that jake, i should be good for the 69's for a few more years so! but does anyone know the heights of some of the top lifters i.e. boevski, markov, sagir, dimas... im just curious to know as i cant find these stats on the net!

[Shaun Le Conte]

Hi Cathal,

There are published statistics of the average heights of the lifters in the 1996 Olympic Games at this web address:

http://www.dynamic-eleiko.com/sportivny/library/news/nv001.html

Obviously the weight classes are a little different but with a little imagination the numbers can be bumped up or down a little.

You can also go to http://www.doha-2006.com/, look up "Athletes and Teams", select weightlifting, and you'll see that a lot of the countries have entered in the heights of their lifters into their biographies. The guy who won the Asian Games, 2004 Olympic Champion Zhang Guozheng is listed as being 164 cm 5'4'1/2

Also I have done some painstaking measurements of lifters using video. I compared their heights when standing fully erect, with the diameter of the bumper plates and adjusted for the soles of their shoes and so on, and came up with a chart.

   nearplate   farplate   person   ratio   height (cm)   heel adj.   inches   
Boevski   4.2   3.85   15.3   3.801242236   171.0559006   168.5159006   66.34484276   using photo
Boevski   7.6   7.6   29.3   3.855263158   173.4868421   170.9468421   67.30190634   video
Zelyazkov   7.7   7.5   28.7   3.776315789   169.9342105   167.3942105   65.90323249   video
Militossian   7.7   7.5   28.1   3.697368421   166.3815789   163.8415789   64.50455864   video
Minchev   7.7   7.5   27.1   3.565789474   160.4605263   157.9205263   62.17343556   
Derbeniev   4.9   4.7   17.8   3.708333333   166.875   164.335   64.6988189   
Mutlu   3.35   3.3   11   3.308270677   148.8721805   146.3321805   57.61109467   video
Oleschuk   3   2.7   10   3.50877193   157.8947368   155.3547368   61.16328222   
Georgiev   3.25   2.9   10.8   3.512195122   158.0487805   155.5087805   61.22392933   
H Sulemanoglu   2.9   2.5   9.9   3.666666667   165   162.46   63.96062992   
Ekrem Celil   3   2.7   10.3   3.614035088   162.6315789   160.0915789   63.02818069

Cathal, I believe your height is more typical of lifters in the 77 kg class, and maybe the 85 kg class (the short end of the average height range for that class), but only time will tell how your training fills out your frame. Just stay lean and go where your body takes you!

[Gary Valentine]

know of any chart like this for women? -g

[cathal byrd]

thanks for that shaun, very helpful!