Were There More Missed Lifts At 2017 Worlds Compared To Previous Years?
Were There More Missed Lifts At 2017 Worlds Compared To Previous Years?
Here's how the 2017 IWF Worlds compared to the 2015 IWF Worlds in terms of number and rate of missed lifts.
There is no question that the winning totals of the 2017 IWF World Weightlifting Championships were a bit lower compared to past world events.
But did the athletes in Anaheim, California, miss more attempts compared to previous years?
Due to the recent ban of certain countries thanks to their doping scandals, we wondered if there were any other noticeable differences outside of the totals.
2017 IWF World Championships Missed Attempts
| Division | Missed Snatch Attempts | % Snatches Missed (estimate) | Missed Clean & Jerk Attempts | % Clean and Jerks Missed (estimate) | Total Attempts Overall |
| Men (173 total competitors) | 235 | 45 % | 258 | 48 % | 519 |
| Women (139 total competitors) | 178 | 43 % | 175 | 42 % | 417 |
2015 IWF World Championships Missed Attempts
| Division | Missed Snatch Attempts | % Snatches Missed (estimate) | Missed Clean & Jerk Attempts | % Clean and Jerks Missed (estimate) | Total Attempts Overall |
| Men (324 total competitors) | 410 | 45 % | 435 | 48 % | 912 |
| Women (222 total competitors) | 303 | 39 % | 312 | 40 % | 783 |
While the overall number of lifts taken in both the snatch and clean and jerk are significantly less, the miss rates on the snatch were nearly identical between 2017 and 2015. The biggest difference was an increase of missed clean and jerks for both the men and women.
It's impossible to tell why this increase happened. Perhaps without the nine best countries competing, athletes were closer to medalling positions and took greater risks?
IWF President Tamas Ajan addressed the ban and future plans after the IWF commission meeting concluded earlier this month:
“The IWF is completely committed to addressing the incidence of doping in weightlifting," he said. "We have started a new chapter in weightlifting’s history and there is no looking back. In the period between now and the IOC Executive Board meeting in July 2018 and beyond, the IWF will continue to introduce every possible measure to protect clean weightlifters.”
By Steph Lodge