When is a lifter officially considered finished competing?

A lifter is officially considered finished competing after completing all three attempts in each of the three lifts or upon withdrawing from the competition. This criterion is important because it ensures that every athlete has the opportunity to perform all their planned lifts, reflecting their training and preparedness.

In a powerlifting competition, each lifter has three attempts in the squat, bench press, and deadlift for a total of nine attempts. The completion of all attempts is essential to obtain a total score, which is used to rank lifters in the competition. If a lifter chooses to withdraw, they are still officially considered finished at that point, as they have made the decision not to continue competing.

The notion that finishing could be determined by other criteria like leaving the competition floor or failing a specific number of attempts does not fully encapsulate the structure of a powerlifting event, where the completion of all attempts, or a formal withdrawal, marks the end of an athlete's competition.