Why have they altered weightlifting weight classes?

[rashid29]

Apparently the weight classes have been reorganized several times in the past few decades and I could not find an explanation for why the IWF would do this.

[Mark Rippetoe]

The IOC wanted the medal count lowered.

[rashid29]

I can understand that. Still, it seems a shame to throw out the pre-existing records, some of which would exist today.

[Mark Rippetoe]

It was a shame. But people like shiny new records.

[elVarouza]

They took it from 10-11 classes (in mens) down to 8, right? I think it's always a good thing to have more competition and deeper weight classes. IPF just did the same thing. It gets ridiculous when some organizations have 13 weight classes and 18 age divisions (I'm not kidding) unless you compete solely to get a shiny trinket for showing up.

[NigelB]

Drug scandals probably helped the thought process too - new weight classes cleared the decks for new records to be set in the more vigorously drug tested World.

[hagrid's dad]

Did they just throw out all the old records? I'd assume they still know the actual weight (not just weight class) at which those records were set. They really should still count in whatever new weight class that weight would now compete in.

Otherwise the new record holders haven't really pulled the heaviest numbers at their weight.

[Mark Rippetoe]

The old records still stand in the old classes. Since the class no longer exists, the records cannot be broken.

[elVarouza]

Drug scandals probably helped the thought process too - new weight classes cleared the decks for new records to be set in the more vigorously drug tested World.

I've heard that too, but is the sport really any cleaner now than it used to be?

[alagon]

The old records still stand in the old classes. Since the class no longer exists, the records cannot be broken.

As far as I'm concerned, Yurik Vardanyan, Zakharevich, Taranenko, and Angel Genchev (lifted fucking 3x BW in the clean and jerk!) are kings of weightlifting.