Did you know one athlete has both the heaviest competition snatch and clean & jerk in American history? Shane Hamman is a multi-time Olympian who represented the United States in the 2000 Sydney and 2004 Athens Olympic Games. Shane lifted in the +105kg (superheavyweight) category throughout his weightlifting career. His heaviest competition snatch was 197.5kg, and his heaviest competition clean & jerk was 237.5kg. We go in-depth on both those lifts — with video — below!
Heaviest American Snatch
Shane’s heaviest snatch in competition — and the heaviest competition snatch by ANY American to date — is 197.5kg, which he made at the 2002 World Championships in Poland.
Here’s another look at Shane’s record-breaking snatch.
That’s the heaviest American snatch in competition history. Curious about the heaviest by anyone? We broke down the heaviest snatches ever caught on film.
Heaviest American Clean & Jerk
Shane’s heaviest clean & jerk in competition — the heaviest by ANY American — is 237.5kg, which he made at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. Here’s another look at the lead-up to Shane’s historic lift.
Shane’s lifting was impressive, but his competition PR is nearly 30 kilograms below the heaviest clean & jerk ever filmed.
Shane Hamman and Powerlifting
In addition to a storied weightlifting career, Shane Hamman was one of the few athletes to reach the top levels in multiple strength sports. Before he competed in weightlifting, Shane was actually an elite, record-setting powerlifter who was especially well known for his abilities in the back squat. That strength clearly carried over quite well to weightlifting!
Below is a video of Shane squatting 435kg (that’s roughly 959 pounds) in powerlifting competition:
Do you think any American athletes can break these records in the near future? Let us know in the comments below!
FAQs
What's the heaviest snatch by an American?
The heaviest snatch in American history was 197.5kg. Weightlifter Shane Hamman made this lift at the 2002 Weightlifting World Championships in Poland. Shane lifted in the superheavyweight category.
Weightlifter Pat Mendes was filmed snatching 207kg in training while lifting as an American, but the lift did not occur in competition.
What's the heaviest clean & jerk by an American?
The heaviest clean & jerk ever made in competition by an American was 237.5kg. Shane Hamman made this lift at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.
