IOC adds two new weightlifting categories for 2028 LA Summer Olympics

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board finalized a decision on Friday at its meeting in Milan, Italy, to add two new weightlifting categories – one for men and one for women – without increasing the overall athlete quota.

According to the current competition schedule, the weightlifting program at the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics will feature 120 athletes, with six categories for men and six for women, resulting in 12 gold medals.

Including the new categories will not extend the number of originally planned competition days. The weightlifting events in Los Angeles will take place over five days from July 25 to 29.

The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) stated that increasing the number of categories will help balance the gaps between divisions, thereby minimizing potential health risks and reducing the likelihood of injuries among athletes.