A total of 260 athletes will be competing in the weightlifting events at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, People's Republic of China.
The host nation shall directly qualify 6 men's and 4 women's places.
NOCs will achieve qualification places according to their position in the joint team classification by points adding those scored in the 2006 and in the 2007 World Championships, whereby points achieved in the 2007 World Championships team classification must be multiplied by 1.2.
Continental qualification events will be held for each continent, at which only NOCs which have not gained qualification places in the 2006 and 2007 World Championships may win qualification places.
15 places (8 for men and 7 for women) will be allocated based on the Olympic Qualification Ranking List established by 31 May 2008. Individual qualification places will be allocated to the athletes, ranked in the top 15 places (men), or top 10 places (women) in each bodyweight category, from NOCs which have not gained any qualification places through the 2006 and 2007 World Championships or Continental Qualification Events. Individual Qualification is attributed by name to the respective athlete, who may participate in the Olympic Games only in the same weight category in which he achieved the qualification place. An NOC may qualify a maximum of 1 (one) male and 1 (one) female weightlifter under the criteria of individual qualification. Should more than 1 (one) athlete from an NOC achieve qualification under these criteria, the NOC must determine which place will be used.
The Tripartite Commission shall, on the basis of requests submitted by the NOCs and in consultation, allocate a total of 10 (ten) Invitation places to NOCs, in a gender proportion of approximately 6 (six) men and 4 (four) women.
If an NOC chooses not to use all qualification places obtained, or if individual qualification places cannot be allocated, the qualification places concerned shall be reallocated by the IWF with consideration to the Olympic Qualification Ranking List.
| width=20 | Rank | width=200 | NOC | width=30 | Quotas | width=500 | Nominated Athletes |
|---|
| Host Nation |
|---|
| | 6 | Long Qingquan (56), Zhang Xiangxiang (62), Liao Hui (69), Shi Zhiyong (69), Li Hongli (77), Lu Yong (85), |
| World Championships |
|---|
| 1 | | 6 | Oleg Perepetchenov (77), Roman Konstantinov (94), Khadzhimurat Akkaev (94), Dmitry Lapikov (105), Dmitriy Klokov (105), Evgeny Chigishev (+105) |
| 2 | | 6 | Vitali Dzerbianiou (56), Henadzi Makhveyenia (62), Siarhei Lahun (77), Andrei Rybakou (85), Vadzim Straltsou (85), Andrei Aramnau (105) |
| 3 | | 6 | Sergio Alvarez Boulet (56), Lázaro Maikel Ruiz (62), Yordanis Borrero (69), Iván Cambar (77), Jadiel Valladares (85), Yohandris Hernández (94) |
| 4 | | 0[1] | |
| 5 | | 6 | Krzysztof Szramiak (77), Bartłomiej Bonk (94), Szymon Kołecki (94), Robert Dołęga (105), Marcin Dołęga (105), Grzegorz Kleszcz (+105) |
| 6 | | 6 | Sergio Rada (56), Oscar Figueroa (62), Diego Fernando Salazar (62), Edwin Mosquera (69), Luis Miguel Pineda (69), Carlos Andica (85) |
| 7 | | 5 | Ji Hun-Min (62), Lee Bae-Young (69), Kim Kwang-Hoon (77), Sa Jae-Hyouk (77), Jeon Sang-Guen (+105) |
| 8 | | 5 | Artem Ivanov (94), Igor Razoronov (105), Oleksiy Torokhtiy (105), Ihor Shymechko (+105), Artem Udachyn (+105) |
| 9 | | 5 | Tigran G. Martirosyan (69), Gevorg Davtyan (77), Ara Khachatryan (77), Tigran V. Martirosyan (85), Edgar Gevorgyan (85) |
| 10 | | 5 | Igor Grabucea (56), Alexandru Dudoglo (69), Andrei Gutu (77), Evgheni Bratan (94), Vadim Vacarciuc (94) |
| 11 | | 3[2] | Konstantinos Gkaripis (94), Anastasios Triantafyllou (94), Nikolaos Kourtidis (105) |
| 12 | | 5 | Vladimir Kuznetsov (77), Vladimir Sedov (85), Ilya Ilyin (94), Bakhyt Akhmetov (105), Sergey Istomin (105) |
| 13 | | 5 | Sardar Hasanov (62), Afgan Bayramov (69), Turan Mirzayev (69), Intigam Zairov (85), Nizami Pashayev (94) |
| 14 | | 4 | Artiom Shaloyan (69), Jürgen Spiess (94), Matthias Steiner (+105), Almir Velagic (+105) |
| 15 | | 4 | Mohamed Abd Elbaki (62), Tarek Abdelazim (69), Mahmoud Elhaddad (77), Abdelrahman El Sayed (105) |
| 16 | | 4 | Israel José Rubio (69), Ocando Jose Leonardo (77), Octavio Antonio Mejias (77), Herbys Charlys Marquez (85) |
| 17 | | 4 | Sedat Artuç (56), Taner Sağır (77), İzzet İnce (85), Bunyamin Sudas (105) |
| 18 | | 4 | Cha Kum-Chol (56), Ri Kyong-Sok (56), Im Yong-Su (62), Kim Chol-Jin (69) |
| 19 | | 4 | Antoniu Buci (62), Răzvan Martin (69), Alexandru Roșu (69), Răzvan Rusu (77) |
| 20 | | 4 | Eko Yuli Irawan (56), Triyatno (62), Edi Kurniawan (69), Sandou Nasution (77) |
| 21 | | 3 | Pongsak Maneetong (56), Phaisan Hansawong (62), Sittisak Suphalak (69) |
| 22 | | 3 | Asghar Ebrahimi (94), Mohsen Beiranvand (105), Rashid Sharifi (+105) |
| 23 | | 3 | Vencelas Dabaya (69), Giovanni Bardis (77), Benjamin Hennequin (85) |
| 24 | | 3 | Rauli Tsirekidse (85), Arsen Kasabiev (94), Albert Kuzilov (105) |
| 25 | | 3 | Yasunobu Sekikawa (56), Masaharu Yamada (56), Yoshito Shintani (69) |
| 26 | | 3 | Vito Dellino (56), Giorgio de Luca (69), Moreno Boer (105) |
| 27 | | 3 | Yang Chin-Yi (56), Wang Shin-Yuan (56), Yang Sheng-Hsiung (62) |
| African Championships |
|---|
| 1 | | 2 | Felix Ekpo (77), Benedict Uloko (85) |
| 2 | | 1 | Brice Vivien Batchaya (85) |
| 3 | | 1 | Khalil El Maaoui (56) |
| 4 | | 1 | Darryn Anthony (77) |
| American Championships |
|---|
| 1 | | 2 | Chad Vaughn (77), Kendrick Farris (85) |
| 2 | | 2 | Jasvir Singh (62), Francis Luna-Grenier (69) |
| 3 | | 1 | Wellison Silva (69) |
| 4 | | 1 | Carlos Espeleta (77) |
| 5 | | 1 | Eduardo Guadamud (94) |
| Asian Championships |
|---|
| 1 | | 2 | Sherzodjon Yusupov (77), Mansurbek Chashemov (85) |
| 2 | | 2 | Umurbek Bazarbayev (62), Tolkunbek Hudaybergenov (62) |
| 3 | | 1 | Ulanbek Moldodosov (85) |
| 4 | | 0 | Ali Hussein Al-Dhilab (69) |
| 5 | | 0[3] | Sawara Mohammed (69) |
| European Championships |
|---|
| 1 | | 2 | Gert Trasha (69), Erkand Qerimaj (77) |
| 2 | | 2 | Ondrej Kutlík (85), Martin Tešovič (105) |
| 3 | | 1 | János Baranyai (77) |
| 4 | | 1 | Ramūnas Vyšniauskas (105) |
| 5 | | 1 | José Juan Navarro (94) |
| Oceania Championships |
|---|
| 1 | | 2 | Mark Spooner (69), Richie Patterson (77) |
| 2 | | 1 | Damon Kelly (+105) |
| 3 | | 1 | Itte Detenamo (+105) | |
| width=20 | Rank | width=200 | NOC | width=30 | Quotas | width=500 | Nominated Athletes |
|---|
| Host Nation |
|---|
| | 4 | Chen Xiexia (48), Chen Yanqing (58), Liu Chunhong (69), Cao Lei (75) |
| World Championships |
|---|
| 1 | | 4 | Marina Shainova (58), Svetlana Tsarukaeva (63), Oxana Slivenko (69), Nadezhda Evstyukhina (75) |
| 2 | | 4 | Pramsiri Bunphithak (48), Pensiri Laosirikul (48), Prapawadee Jaroenrattanatarakoon (53), Wandee Kameaim (58) |
| 3 | | 4 | Im Jyoung-Hwa (48), Yoon Jin-Hee (53), Kim Soo-Kyung (63), Jang Mi-Ran (+75) |
| 4 | | 4 | Natalya Davydova (69), Nadiya Myronyuk (75), Yuliya Dovhal (+75), Olha Korobka (+75) |
| 5 | | 4 | Mercedes Pérez (63), Tulia Angela Medina (69), Leydi Solís (69), Ubaldina Valoyes (75) |
| 6 | | 4 | Marzena Karpińska (48), Marieta Gotfryd (58), Aleksandra Klejnowska (58), Dominika Misterska (63) |
| 7 | | 4 | Nastassia Novikava (53), Hanna Batsiushka (69), Iryna Kulesha (75), Yuliya Novakovich (75) |
| 8 | | 4 | Melanie Roach (53), Carissa Gump (63), Natalie Woolfolk (63), Cheryl Haworth (+75) |
| 9 | | 4 | Maya Maneza (63), Irina Nekrassova (63), Alla Vazhenina (75), Mariya Grabovetskaya (+75) |
| 10 | | 3 | Hiromi Miyake (48), Misaki Oshiro (48), Rika Saito (69) |
| 11 | | 3 | Judith Chacon (53), Solenny Villasmil (63), Iriner Jimenez (69) |
| 12 | | 1 | Victoria Mavridou (+75) |
| 13 | | 3 | O Jong-Ae (58), Pak Hyon-Suk (63), Hong Yong-Ok (69) |
| 14 | | 3 | Marilou Dozois-Prevost (48), Christine Girard (63), Jean Elisabeth Lassen (75) |
| 15 | | 0 | |
| 16 | | 2 | Luz Acosta (63), Damaris Aguirre (75) |
| 17 | | 2 | Chen Wei-ling (48), Lu Ying-chi (63) |
| African Championships |
|---|
| 1 | | 1 | Maryam Usman (+75) |
| 2 | | 1 | Abir Khalil (69) |
| 3 | | 1 | Hanene Ourfelli (63) |
| American Championships |
|---|
| 1 | | 1 | Alexandra Escobar (58) |
| 2 | | 1 | Geralee Vega (58) |
| 3 | | 1 | Yudelquis Maridalin (53) |
| 4 | | 1 | Eva Dimas (+75) |
| Asian Championships |
|---|
| 1 | | 1 | Raema Lisa Rumbewas (53) |
| 2 | | 1 | Nguyen Thi Thiet (63) |
| 3 | | 1 | Namkhaidorjiin Bayarmaa (63) |
| 4 | | 0 [4] | Laishram Monika Devi (69) |
| European Championships |
|---|
| 1 | | 2 | Sibel Özkan (48), Nurcan Taylan (48) |
| 2 | | 1 | Julia Rohde (53) |
| 3 | | 1 | Mélanie Noël (48) |
| Oceania Championships |
|---|
| 1 | | 1 | Deborah Lovely (+75) |
| 2 | | 1 | Dika Toua (53) |
| 3 | | 1 | Ele Opeloge (+75) | |
Santo Domingo
Chiang Mai
Kanazawa
Lignano Sabbiadoro
Callao
Auckland