Clean and Jerk

Georgia Tech is hosting the Olympic weightlifting trials this weekend, so I thought I'd drop by for a cultural experience.  I watched a group of the women competitors and I was intrigued by the diversity of their weightlifting styles. To be honest, I had never thought of weightlifting as a sport where "style" had much relevance, but it was fascinating to see each competitor assume her competition persona, and go through her rituals before the lift.  One woman started with a bow, in a martial-arts kind of way, then paused for a moment of meditation.  Another would crouch down and shake the bar vigorously while tossing her huge curly blonde ponytail from side to side before raising 200lbs over her head.  Another would meticulously coat each of her fingers with chalk, pace back and forth across the platform, then let out a loud "Ha!"  One of the competitors set a new American record for her division.  This inspired me to go to the gym, where I did far less remarkable things.