The end of the 94 kilogram competition today at the Youth Oceania Weightlifting Championships in Mont Dore, New Caledonia signals an end to the more than year-long qualification period.

It began with the International Weightlifting Federation World Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in April of last year.

Twenty-five male athletes from 16 countries qualified for the Games in that event, alongside 22 women from 15 countries.

This year, qualifying events have been held in Bangsaen in Thailand, Tunis in Tunisia, Lima in Peru and Ciechanow in Poland, as well as Mont Dore.

They saw an additional 22 National Olympic Committees (NOC) qualify with 22 male athletes and 17 NOCs with 17 female athletes.

While the full line-up of athletes has yet to be confirmed, with possible reallocation when factors including host country representation is taken into account, more than 60 nations are expected to take part in the competition in China.

The second youth Olympic Games, following on from Singapore in 2010, is due to take place from August 16 to 28.

Weightlifting will be one of 28 sports represented at the Games.