Sinclair Coefficients

The Sinclair Coefficients are a means to compare different weight classes in olympic weightlifting.

The answer to the question "What would be the total of an athlete weighing x kg if he/she were an athlete in the heaviest class of the same level of ability?" is given by the formula: ACTUAL TOTAL × SINCLAIR COEFFICIENT = SINCLAIR TOTAL.

There are eight bodyweight categories for male athletes: 56 kg, 62 kg, 69 kg, 77 kg, 85 kg, 94 kg, 105 kg and +105 kg, and seven for female athletes: 48 kg, 53 kg, 58 kg, 63 kg, 69 kg, 75 kg and +75 kg.

There are also two types of lifts: snatch, and clean and jerk. However, at the championships, medals are presented in both lifts separately, and in total (the combined result of the best snatch and the best clean and jerk).

To compare and rank the results, especially between bodyweight categories, the International Weightlifting Federation uses the Sinclair Coefficients which are derived statistically and calculated for one Olympic cycle (for four years, starting in the Spring of each Olympic year).

The total for each bodyweight category is a projection of the Total for that weightlifter if he/she were a competitor in the heaviest bodyweight category with the same level of ability. It is done in four body weight categories for the males (56 kg, 69 kg, 77 kg, +105 kg). For the other four categories (62 kg, 85 kg, 94 kg, 105 kg) the Sinclair Total represents the World Standard because nobody as of March 2008^[update] has lifted the predicted total. Those projections using the Sinclair Total are shown below.

The Sinclair Coefficient is ${\displaystyle 10^{A({\log _{10}{(x/b)}})^{2}}}$. If x<b where x is the weightlifter's bodyweight, b is the world record holder's bodyweight (in the heaviest category) and A is the coefficient for this Olympic cycle, or 1.0 if x≥b.

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