Why these lifts?

The three lifts that were the Olympic lifts for most of weightlifting's history, were the Clean and Press, the Snatch, and the Clean and Jerk. These three lifts were chosen to test a lifter in different ways. They all required strength, but then you also needed speed and flexibility. The Clean and Press tested a weightlifter's strength. It was a slow "power" lift. The Press was an excellent test of upper body strength. The Snatch is a test of a weightlifter's speed and flexibility, in addition to his strength. A properly executed Snatch takes about one second to pull the barbell from the floor to overhead. The Clean and Jerk was chosen as a combination test of strength and flexibility. With the Clean and Jerk, the most amount of weight can be lifted overhead. It is the "King of Lifts." The Clean and Press was dropped from competition December 31, 1972. There was too much leeway in the officiating. However, a meet is a little quicker now with only two lifts. To a non-lifter, the Clean & Press and the Clean & Jerk looked the same. So maybe it's better this way.