Elite Tall Olympic Lifters?

[Madmick]

I've been watching the A Blocks of the Olympics in 1080p on YouTube the past couple weeks, and it made me curious about tall, elite weightlifters? Naturally I started by researching the SHW division. Sajjad Anoushiravani and Ruslan Albegov, who won the silver and bronze medals this year at London in the 105+ kg division, are both 192cm (almost 6'4"). Velichko Cholakov, from Bulgaria, who won bronze in 2004, was the tallest at 198cm (6'6"). All the other medalists in the SHW division going back to 1972 were 187cm (6'2") or shorter.

Naturally, this makes sense. Superior height and reach is an advantage in almost every sport (at least to a certain degree), but it creates a serious mechanical disadvantage in competitive powerlifting or weightlifting. In the unlimited weight division, this is offset a bit by the fact that increased height creates the potential for increased mass.

Ergo, I'm most interested to know who are the elite weightlifters in the restricted weight classes. Feel free to talk about tall powerlifters in this thread, too.

 

[Madmick]

London 2012 Group A Lifting Blocks

62kg (137 lbs)

69kg (152 lbs)

77kg ( 170 lbs)

85kg (187 lbs)

94kg (207 lbs)


105kg (231 lbs)


105kg+ (231+ lbs)

 

[Twisted Elbow**]

I wish I could see videos.

 

[Thunderkopf]

I've been watching the A Blocks of the Olympics in 1080p on YouTube the past couple weeks, and it made me curious about tall, elite weightlifters? Naturally I started by researching the SHW division. Sajjad Anoushiravani and Ruslan Albegov, who won the silver and bronze medals this year at London in the 105+ kg division, are both 192cm (almost 6'4"). Velichko Cholakov, from Bulgaria, who won bronze in 2004, was the tallest at 198cm (6'6"). All the other medalists in the SHW division going back to 1972 were 187cm (6'2") or shorter.

Naturally, this makes sense. Superior height and reach is an advantage in almost every sport (at least to a certain degree), but it creates a serious mechanical disadvantage in competitive powerlifting or weightlifting. In the unlimited weight division, this is offset a bit by the fact that increased height creates the potential for increased mass.

Ergo, I'm most interested to know who are the elite weightlifters in the restricted weight classes. Feel free to talk about tall powerlifters in this thread, too.

While having long limbs can be disadvantageous for performing squats and bench presses (but not deadlifts), aren't most tall powerlifters/weightlifters more inclined to train in Strongman competitions instead? All those Refrigerator Walks, Atlas Stones, and Log Carries and whatnot...

God, I wish I were taller, I wish were a balla.

 

[Ghost Ape]

I think you managed to miss Salimi Behdad who is 6'5" or 6'6". I think Cholakov used to be listed as 6'7" or 6'8". He didn't actually compete this year because of a "toothache" so Salimi was the tallest weightlifter at the Olympics.


Cholakov's got a good yell though:



and shows that tall people can squat too:

 

[Madmick]

While having long limbs can be disadvantageous for performing squats and bench presses (but not deadlifts), aren't most tall powerlifters/weightlifters more inclined to train in Strongman competitions instead? All those Refrigerator Walks, Atlas Stones, and Log Carries and whatnot...

Yes, though I didn't mention Strongman for that reason. Also, even deadlifts put taller men are a slight disadvantage due to the longer distance they must move the bar, and the ever-so-slightly greater angular depth in which they must sit before starting the lift.

I think you managed to miss Salimi Behdad who is 6'5" or 6'6".

I totally did. I didn't reference him before posting because I thought I already knew his height was 6'0", but obviously that was a serious error. He's 1.97m tall (6'5.5").

I'm interested to know the tallest elite competitors at 105kg, but I'm too lazy to do the necessary legwork.

 

[Reverendo]

Different body types offer different advantages and disadvantages. In olympic lifting , taller means you can't put as much muscle on at a certain weight class, but it also means that you have the potential for a longer/higher pull so getting under the weight isn't as difficult but standing up with it can be.

Kolecki is 6'1" and he competed at 94kg. He held the world record in the Clean and Jerk up until it was broken last month in London.



Apparently when he made the 232.5 C+J, his 1 rep Front Squat max was only a few kilos higher. He was able to the clean the weight by having a very efficient clean pull and using the momentum to bounce out of the bottom.

I could go into more details but really the answer is that tall lifters do have some bio-mechanical advantages that, if utilized, allows them to compete with more muscular shorter lifters. You'll notice slight differences in technique between tall and short lifters. Compare the snatch pull between, say, kakiashvilis and kolecki. Kaki's is super fast and impulsize, kolecki's is also super fast but longer, more full. Or compare the snatch pulls of Akkaev and Klokov. Akkaev's pull is shorter, and so is he.

 

[Flash_Monsta]

awww man, I cant see videos when I'm in work.

 

[Miiiiiiighty]

Different body types offer different advantages and disadvantages. In olympic lifting , taller means you can't put as much muscle on at a certain weight class, but it also means that you have the potential for a longer/higher pull so getting under the weight isn't as difficult but standing up with it can be.

Kolecki is 6'1" and he competed at 94kg. He held the world record in the Clean and Jerk up until it was broken last month in London.



Apparently when he made the 232.5 C+J, his 1 rep Front Squat max was only a few kilos higher. He was able to the clean the weight by having a very efficient clean pull and using the momentum to bounce out of the bottom.

I could go into more details but really the answer is that tall lifters do have some bio-mechanical advantages that, if utilized, allows them to compete with more muscular shorter lifters. You'll notice slight differences in technique between tall and short lifters. Compare the snatch pull between, say, kakiashvilis and kolecki. Kaki's is super fast and impulsize, kolecki's is also super fast but longer, more full. Or compare the snatch pulls of Akkaev and Klokov. Akkaev's pull is shorter, and so is he.

I remember Taranenko stating he saw Pisarenko (6'2") miss a front squat with 260kg and one or two weeks after he clean and jerked a world record of 265kg...

 

[Miiiiiiighty]

By the way is that question motivated by personal purposes madmick ?

If I remember correctly you are yourself a tall guy like 6'4 or 6'5 ??

 

[Cratos]

Also, even deadlifts put taller men are a slight disadvantage due to the longer distance they must move the bar, and the ever-so-slightly greater angular depth in which they must sit before starting the lift.

Benedikt Magnusson and Andy Bolton are 6'0".

Konstantin Konstantinovs is 6'3".

 

[Keosawa]

Benedikt Magnusson and Andy Bolton are 6'0".

Konstantin Konstantinovs is 6'3".

Not to mention most good deadlifters in the lower weight classes are tall for their class.

It happens in powerlifting because ideal leverages aren't as codified; it's physiologically impossible to be "ideally" built for squatting, bench-pressing, and deadlifting because these ideal builds conflict with one another. That's why you have Richard Hawthorne competing at 132 lbs. while being 5'6". If taller lifters were at a disadvantage, then he wouldn't be one of the best deadlifters on the planet. Height and range-of-motion is an overly simplistic way of looking at this: it has more to do with limb and torso length as well as leveraging. One could be a hundred feet tall, but if you've got a short torso, short femurs, and really long arms, it doesn't really matter.

There's less variation in height among elite weightlifters at a given weight class because the two competition lifts allow for something closer to an "ideal" in terms of leveraging and pounds-per-inch. This is why the Soviet Union did extensive research on the average heights of weightlifters in each weight class and would specify to the cm what weight class up-and-coming Soviet weightlifters would someday be expected to fall under. So, if you're looking for tall, world-class weightlifters, you'll only find them with any regularity whatsoever at heavyweight; for all other weight classes, finding a lifter who's more than two or three cm taller than the average would, I imagine, be pretty hard.

This stuff's in Training of the Weightlifter, if you're interested.

 

[LegioTitan]

Really regret not talking to Richard Hawthorne more when I was "training" at one of the gyms he used. I didn't really know who he was and I hadn't yet been pushed into full on strength training yet. Piss poor timing....


Oh I'm pretty sure Kakhi(my favorite 94 of all time) was a relatively tall 94, but I could be mistaken.

 

[God of Thunder]

Great videos, TS. Honestly, I can't answer your question. I know that great weightlifters(Dimas, Ilin, Klokov) are considered short for their weight class. It's amazing how Ilin managed to lift more than the guy in 105 division. And WTF happened to Dolega? This was the same guy who managed to outlift Klokov back in 2010.

 

[Madmick]

By the way is that question motivated by personal purposes madmick ?

If I remember correctly you are yourself a tall guy like 6'4 or 6'5 ??

Indeed. I wanted to review video of taller lifters for myself.

Benedikt Magnusson and Andy Bolton are 6'0".

Konstantin Konstantinovs is 6'3".

Indexed against their weight 6'0" isn't what I would describe as tall. Konstantinovos is diesel. Raw FTW. Still, I'm surprised by Keosawa's observation that the better powerlifters in the lower weight classes are above average height (among powerlifters). I really wish someone had all this data compiled so that I could study and compare graphs for the different lifts. I own Training of the Weightlifter, I think, thanks, Keosawa, I'll review it. I've been going through Dreschler's book front to back. He always mentions the range of knee and torso angles for elite lifters at the various stages of the lift, but he doesn't specify if this is in some way related to height.

 

[LegioTitan]

Indeed. I wanted to review video of taller lifters for myself.

I would encourage you to seek out video of lifters who are not only tall but have similar proportions as you. Femurs, arms, etc.

Trying to mimick the technique of someone who is as tall but has very short femurs and a long torso, or vice versa, won't get you anywhere if that's not your build.

For instance longer femured lifters must have quite a bit more lateral movement in their knees through the pull opposed to short femured guys that can just push them right back.

 

[BigBadKraken]

I'm 6ft 6, with long torso and long (not super long) legs.

Since wear and tear injury from kickboxing over the years, I now need some kind of heel to prop me upright in squats.

Watching dozens of weight lifting videos and asking similar questions to this (archaic) thread, brought me back to Sherdog for discussion. Oh, the irony!

I'm ordering my first pair of weight lifting shoes. I'll review them and post squat videos. I'm 37, post-injury and will now finally be starting to try and incorporate Olympic lifting in my older age.

 

[Liquid Smoke]

Seeing a lot of necro threads lately. Is it because Chuck and Tito just fought?

 

[BigBadKraken]

Seeing a lot of necro threads lately. Is it because Chuck and Tito just fought?

They didn't fight, they just kinda met in the cage for a few seconds.

 

[Liquid Smoke]

They didn't fight, they just kinda met in the cage for a few seconds.