Weightlifting at the 1906 Intercalated Games

The weightlifting competitions were held as part of the track and field athletics in 1906 as they had been in 1896 and 1904. There were two events, a two-hand lift, or barbell lift, and a one-hand lift or dumbbell lift. In the dumbbell lift the athletes were required to successfully lift each weight with both hands separately. The events were held in the Panathenaic Stadium and the barbell lift, in particular, caused great controversy (see below).

World championships had been contested since 1903, usually with only one weight class, unlimited, contested. The 1906 bronze medalist in the one hand competition, Heinrich Schneidereit, was the top lifter at the first few versions. He was 2nd in 1903, won the title in 1906 and was the runner-up again in 1907. In 1904 at Vienna, Josef Steinbach, who starred in 1906 at Athens won the world championship. There were three meets in 1905 considered as world championships, and Steinbach won two of these. Heinrich Rondi (GER), who competed in both events at Athens, would defeat Schneidereit in 1907 to win the world championship.