When is a lifter permitted to begin the lift after the signal to start?

When is a lifter permitted to begin the lift after the signal to start?

• A. After the signal to start is given by the appropriate referee or per the official start procedure, once the lifter is properly prepared
• B. Immediately when the lifter steps onto the platform
• C. Only after the whistle is blown by the coach
• D. When the bar is raised halfway

Answer: (A)

The lift may begin only after the official start signal is given by the appropriate referee and the lifter is in a properly prepared position. This ensures every attempt starts from a fair, standardized moment, with the lifter ready and all conditions met. Beginning before that signal is a fault, not a valid start, so starting early—whether by stepping onto the platform before the signal, relying on a coach’s whistle, or reacting to anything other than the official signal—does not count as the start of the lift. The bar being raised to halfway or any other timing cue is not the recognized start moment; the start must follow the referee’s signal and the lifter’s prepared state.

The lift may begin only after the official start signal is given by the appropriate referee and the lifter is in a properly prepared position. This ensures every attempt starts from a fair, standardized moment, with the lifter ready and all conditions met. Beginning before that signal is a fault, not a valid start, so starting early—whether by stepping onto the platform before the signal, relying on a coach’s whistle, or reacting to anything other than the official signal—does not count as the start of the lift. The bar being raised to halfway or any other timing cue is not the recognized start moment; the start must follow the referee’s signal and the lifter’s prepared state.