Being a weightlifter requires immense dedication, discipline and focus. It’s a sport that not only tests your physical strength, but also your mental strength. And while it’s often seen as a man’s sport, there are plenty of incredible women weightlifters out there making a name for themselves. In this blog post, we will be counting down the top 15 female weightlifters in the world. These women are not only incredibly strong, but they are also inspiring athletes who have overcome great odds to get where they are today. From athletes who started lifting in their teens to those who didn’t start until later in life, these women are proof that age is just a number when it comes to strength and determination.
Jackie Perez
Jackie Perez is an American weightlifter who competes in the 69 kg weight class. She placed first at the 2017 World Weightlifting Championships in the snatch, clean and jerk, and total. She also competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics, where she placed ninth in the snatch and eleventh in the clean and jerk.
Perez began weightlifting in 2013 after she saw a video of Sarah Robles competing at the 2012 Summer Olympics. She was inspired by Robles’ strength and confidence, and decided that she wanted to compete herself. Perez began training with coach Joe Micela Jr., and made her international debut at the 2015 Pan American Games, where she won a bronze medal in the 63 kg weight class.
Since then, Perez has become one of the most successful weightlifters in her weight class, winning multiple medals at both the world and continental championships. In addition to her success as a competitive weightlifter, Perez is also an advocate for gender equity in sport. She has spoken out about the need for more opportunities for women to compete in strength sports, and has been an outspoken critic of drug testing policies that target women athletes disproportionately.
Candice Lewis
Candice Lewis is one of the top female weightlifters in the world. She has won numerous titles and medals, including the Olympic bronze medal in the women’s 63 kg category at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Lewis is also a two-time World Champion, winning titles in 2011 and 2013.
Oksana Slivenko
Oksana Slivenko is a world-renowned weightlifter from Russia. She has won numerous world and Olympic titles, and is widely considered to be one of the greatest weightlifters of all time. Slivenko’s career began in the early 1990s, and she quickly rose to prominence on the international stage. She won her first world title in 1993, and followed that up with Olympic gold in 1996. Slivenko continued to dominate the sport throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, winning several more world and Olympic titles. She retired from competition in 2006, but remains active in the weightlifting community as a coach and administrator.
Natalia Kuznetsova
Natalia Kuznetsova is a Russian weightlifter who has competed at the Olympic Games and the World Championships. She is a two-time Olympic medalist, winning silver in 2008 and bronze in 2012. She is also a three-time world champion, winning gold in 2007, 2009, and 2011.
Kuznetsova began weightlifting in 1998 at the age of 16. She competed in her first international competition in 2002, and made her first appearance at the Olympics in 2004. Since then, she has been one of the most successful weightlifters in the world.
Kuznetsova is known for her clean and jerk technique. She is also known for her strong mental game. She has said that she loves the feeling of lifting heavy weights and that she enjoys the challenge of trying to improve her personal bests.
Kuznetsova is currently ranked as the #1 female weightlifter in the world by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF).
AnetaŁączak
AnetaŁączak is a Polish weightlifter. She competed in the women’s 63 kg event at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Łączak began weightlifting in 2005. She won a silver medal at the 2015 European Weightlifting Championships and a bronze medal at the 2015 World Weightlifting Championships.
Alana Davies
Alana Davies is a weightlifter from Wales. She started competing in 2006 and has won numerous medals at the Commonwealth Games, European Championships, and World Championships. In 2015, she became the first Welsh woman to win a gold medal at the World Championships. Davies is also a three-time Olympian, competed at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, 2012 London Olympics, and 2016 Rio Olympics.
AndreeaMantea
AndreeaMantea is a Romanian weightlifter. She became world champion in 2013 and 2014 in the women’s 63 kg category. In 2015, she won the silver medal at the European Weightlifting Championships.
Mantea began weightlifting in 2006. In 2008, she won the bronze medal at the Junior World Weightlifting Championships. She competed at her first Senior World Weightlifting Championships in 2009, finishing ninth.
In 2010, Mantea won the gold medal at the European Weightlifting Championships. She also competed at the 2010 World Weightlifting Championships, finishing seventh.
In 2011, Mantea won the silver medal at the World Weightlifting Championships. She also won the gold medal at the European Weightlifting Championships.
In 2012, Mantea competed at the London Olympic Games. She finished ninth in the women’s 63 kg event.
In 2013, Mantea became world champion for the first time, winning the gold medal in the women’s 63 kg category. She also won the gold medal at the European Weightlifting Championships.
In 2014, Mantea defended her world title, winning the gold medal in the women’s 63 kg category once again. She also won the silver medal at the European Weightlifting Championships.
Laura Harsanyi
Laura Harsanyi is a Hungarian weightlifter who competes in the 75 kg category. She is a two-time Olympic medalist, having won silver at the 2008 Summer Olympics and bronze at the 2012 Summer Olympics. She is also a three-time World Champion, having won gold medals in 2007, 2009, and 2011. Harsanyi has won a total of seven European Championships medals, including four gold medals.
Amy Weisberger
Amy Weisberger is an American weightlifter who competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics. She placed sixth in the women’s 58 kg event.
Weisberger was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She began weightlifting while attending George Mason University, and was a member of the United States national team from 2006 to 2008.
In 2007, she won the silver medal at the Pan American Games in the 58 kg category. The following year, she competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics, placing sixth in her event.
Stephanie Payne
Stephanie Payne is an American professional weightlifter. She was the first woman to lift over 500 pounds in the clean and jerk, and she currently holds the world record in the super heavyweight division.
Payne began weightlifting in high school, and she quickly rose to the top of her sport. She won her first national championship in 2006, and she has gone on to win five more titles. In 2010, she became the first American woman to win a gold medal at the World Weightlifting Championships.
Payne’s success has made her one of the most recognizable weightlifters in the world. She has appeared on television shows and in magazines, and she has been featured in documentaries about weightlifting. Payne is also a popular speaker, and she has given talks about her sport at schools and universities around the United States.
Jennifer Thompson
Jennifer Thompson is a world-renowned weightlifter. She has won multiple gold medals in international competitions and is considered one of the strongest women in the world.
Thompson began competing in weightlifting in her early 20s. She quickly rose to prominence, winning gold medals at the World Championships in 2009 and 2010. She has also won gold at the Pan American Games and the Commonwealth Games. In addition to her strength, Thompson is also known for her impressive technique and form.
Thompson has said that she loves the challenge of weightlifting and the feeling of being strong. She trains six days a week, following a strict regime that includes a lot of weightlifting, conditioning, and recovery work.
Katherine Downey
Katherine Downey is a former professional American weightlifter. She competed in the -63kg weight class and was a two-time national champion. In 2001, she became the first American woman to win a medal at the World Weightlifting Championships, winning bronze in the -63kg division. After retiring from competition, she opened her own strength and conditioning facility, Katherine Downey’s Strength Lab, in Boulder, Colorado.
Downey began weightlifting in 1998 at age 19. She was introduced to the sport by her then-boyfriend (now husband), Tavis Brewer. Brewer had competed in weightlifting at the collegiate level and encouraged Downey to give it a try. She soon fell in love with the sport and began competing regularly. In 2001, she won the bronze medal at the World Weightlifting Championships, becoming the first American woman to do so. She retired from competition in 2004 after winning her second national championship title.
Since retiring from competition, Downey has focused on helping others achieve their fitness goals through her strength and conditioning facility. She has also been working as a coach, helping athletes of all levels reach their potential. In 2017, she was inducted into the USA Weightlifting Hall of Fame.
Sarah Robles
Sarah Robles is an American weightlifter who competes in the +75 kg weight class. She is a two-time Olympian, having competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. In 2013, she became the first American woman to win a medal at the World Weightlifting Championships in over two decades, winning bronze in the +75 kg weight class.
Robles was born on July 1, 1988, in Riverside, California. She began lifting weights at age 14. In 2007, she competed at her first major international tournament, the Junior Pan American Games, where she won a bronze medal in the 63 kg weight class. She went on to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics as an alternate for the United States team.
In 2012, Robles qualified for her first Olympic Games, held in London. She finished 7th in her weight class with a total of 243 kg (535 lb). At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, she again finished 7th with a total of 241 kg (531 lb).
Jodi Wille
Jodi Wille is one of the top female weightlifters in the world. She has won multiple world championships and is a two-time Olympian. Wille is also a well-known powerlifter, having set multiple world records in the sport.