The Struggle of Olympic Weightlifting

Glory exists in some form in every single sport and it exists in multiple iterations. It's not only present in the form of a late game offensive triumph. Glory can emerge from the limbs of a quick handed defender or land in the glove of a leaping outfielder. But where does the glory lie in Olympic weightlifting?

I suppose it occurs when the lifter successfully raises that heavy bar accessorized with heavy plates on each end, up and over their heads for a period of time. But in this case, that glory is boring. At least from a photographer's perspective. Second to "peak action" on the sports photographers list of what makes a great picture, is great faces. And the struggle of Olympic weightlifting weighs a thousand kilograms.

In my first attempt at capturing the sport at the 3rd Annual Midtown Classic in Sacramento, I've found that the unsuccessful lifts make for the most compelling images. The grimace on their faces combined with the gravity defying lean of their bodies mixed with a bar and weights that seem to have gone rogue paints the perfect picture that makes you wonder, "What the fuck just happened?" The tiniest breakdown in technique could be the difference between the struggle and the glory, but photographically speaking, the gap between the two is quite large.

Check out some more images here.