Topic: Ontario Provincials and Canadian Nationals set up

[Ryan Lapadat]

Hey guys,

I am new to the sport. I was wonder how a weight lifter makes it into the Ontario Provincials? Is it like Powerlifting where you have to meet a certain weight lifted requirement in previous competitions or in a qualifying meet, or do you have to win a certain amount of tournaments to get in?

Also, how do you get in the Canadian Nationals? Do you have to get in the top 3 in your Provincials? Or do you qualify by lifting a certain amount of weight like in the Provincials (this is how powerlifting works aswell)?

And lastly, if you are in a weight class does the top 3 people get medals, or do they give medals only to those who lifted the most weight pound for pound in the whole competition?

I know its alot of questions, sorry, I am new to the sport and curious. Thanks for any one who can help out! I would assume the US has a similar structure.

[Shaun Le Conte]

Hi Ryan

The Ontario Seniors (Provincials) are always at the end of March and to compete you are required to post a modest qualifying total prior to the Srs. I would need to double check the specific totals but they have always been set at 220 sinclair. Let me know if Sinclair doesn't ring a bell with you, I can explain it. It's basically a mathematical way to compare performances done by lifters in different weight classes.  For instance if you're 187 pounds (85 kg), you need to lift 185 kg in the total (like, 80 sn and 105 cj for example). This is information that should be put on the Ontario web site, and I had it on there for years until another manager took it over. You have two chances to do it, November 3 in St. Thomas, and early February in Toronto, unless you are junior, in which case you have 1-2 additional chances in that time.

For Canadians, there are standards that must be met for each weight class, roughly corresponding to 280 Sinclair. You have to do the total during the qualifying period at a meet subject to drug testing. See the Canadian Weightlifting Federation (CWFHC) national page: http://www.fedhaltero.qc.ca/national_2.htm For the 85 kg class you have to total 245 kg.

Awards are by weight class

www.ontarioweightlifting.ca

[Ryan Lapadat]

Thanks a bundle!

The Ontario website has very little information for some one who is looking to get started. Looking at the Ontario powerlifting website you get all the answers you need. Kinda frustrating for someone who is interested in trying their hand in the sport.

Thanks for the info though. Just so happens the weight class you used as an example is my weight class, lol. Clears things up for me pretty good.

Not too farmilliar with Sinclair, but from what you said i think I get it.

I wish the website for ontario was a lil more informative. I e mail some one there but never got a reply.

[Shaun Le Conte]

Yeah I almost wish I was at the helm of the OWA web site again, I'd put that info on the web site.

[Ryan Lapadat]

Do you have to win certain tournaments to make it into the Commonwealth games, North American Championships (is there even one?) and the WOrlds and Olympics? Or is that also done by making a lift qualification?

Thanks for answering all these questions!

[Shaun Le Conte]

To make it to these big events - Commonwealth, Pan Am Games, Worlds, etc you have be ranked in the top several in Canada according to a formula, including all weight classes. Like, just as with the Canadian Championships they set a goal in kilograms for each weight class (only MUCH higher) and then rank you as a percentage of achieving that goal. Also, there can be no more than 2 from any country in a single weight class at a big event, so if you are ranked #6, for example, but are #3 in your own weight class (it sometimes happens) then you stay home. How many weightlifters get to go to each of these events depends on some complicated rules.

There is no North American Championship, but there is the Pan Am Championships (North and South America combined), which happens every year as opposed to the Pan Am Games which is every 4th year.

[Ryan Lapadat]

Okay, so you have to compete in your nationals and put up a good amount of weight. Then they look at every one's national numbers and use a formula to rank them based on the weight they lifted. The top ranked guys get in (only 2 per nation by weight class...if there even is two in a nation for that weight class).

I think I got it. Thanks. I was reading about this on the net and it is a lil confusing trying to follow how these guys get to the Olympics. I know there are some Olympic hopefulls and they talk about their journey there, but sometimes its hard to undersands just all the steps they had to go through.

Looks like there are some tournaments you can lift in to get a higher ranking and qualify in these big tourneys. But it gets complicated. I read on teh Olympic site some people get invited I think, unless I read it wrong. But only 8 people total. I guess I will learn more as I follow the sport and keep reading. Its pretty complicated for a beginner to the sport.

Thanks for all the help. You helped out a ton! I appreciate that, and wish you were still running that website. You are a lot more informative, and help out those that want to get involved in the sport and have questions.

[Shaun Le Conte]

I am making my own web site again. It'll be ugly because I don't have the leet graphix skillz so the purpose is just to share information across Canada and for whoever else is interested. Just making up for what's missing elsewhere and having my own piece of the internet.

In the 85 kg class, a ballpark estimate of what would be required to represent Canada in the Olympics (this time around) is currently around 329 kg in the total. It's all variable and depends on how national team members progress as the event approaches. Currently the best 85 kg lifter in Canada is Buck Ramsay, who posts on this site from time to time and recently updated us with his new blog. I wish him the best in the year to come.