Archive from 2012

The Final Entry List is published

The International Weightlifting Federation published on its website the Final Entry List for the London 2012 Olympic Games (as of 10 July 2012). Beijing Olympic Gold Medallists to participate at the London 2012 Olympic Games: Women’s +75kg: Mi-ran JANG (KOR) Men’s 77kg: Jaehyouk SA (KOR) Men’s 85kg: Yong LU (CHN) Men’s 94kg: Ilya ILYIN (KAZ) Men’s 105kg: Andrei ARAMNAU (BLR) Men’s +105kg: Matthias STEINER (GER) Out of the 15 current World Champions winning their title at the 2011 IWF World Championships Paris, France, 13 will compete to win the Olympic Gold: Women’s 53kg: Zulfiya CHINSHANLO (KAZ) Women’s 58kg: Nastassia NOVIKAVA (BLR) Women’s 63kg: Svetlana TSARUKAEVA (RUS) Women’s 69kg: Oxana SLIVENKO (RUS) Women’s 75kg: Nadezda EVSTYUKHINA (RUS) Women’s +75kg: Lulu ZHOU (CHN) Men’s 56kg: Jingbiao WU (CHN) Men’s 62kg: Jie ZHANG (CHN) Men’s 77kg: Xiaojun LU (CHN) Men’s 85kg: Kianoush ROSTAMI (IRI) Men’s 94kg: Ilya ILYIN (KAZ) Men’s 105kg: Khadzhimurat AKKAEV (RUS) Men’s +105kg: Behdad SALIMIKORDASIABI (IRI) Further 10 athletes – World Champions in 2009 and/or 2010 will compete. The youngest athlete to compete is: Khadija MOHAMMAD (UAE) – Women’s 75kg – born on 19 June 1995 The oldest athlete to compete is: Martin TESOVIC (SVK) – Men’s 105kg – born on 26 October 1974 Download the Final Entry List Download the Competition

Financial Times – Weightlifting Special

The International Weightlifting Federation published an Olympic Games Weightlifting Special inserted in today’s Financial Times. Run to the closest newsstand to get your own copy! See you in

Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz bags prestigious role

WEIGHTLIFTER Hidilyn Diaz got the rare honor of becoming the Philippine flag-bearer during the parade of countries highlighting the glitzy opening ceremonies of the 30th London Olympic Games on July 27. A native of Zamboanga City who competed in the Beijing Olympics four years ago, Diaz beat shooter Brian Rosario, swimmer Jasmine Alkhaldi and Filipino-Japanese judoka Tomohiko Hoshina for the right to carry the national tri-colors at the head of the small team during the march past of nations. “Hidilyn is the unanimous choice of the board. I know she’ll be elated once she receives the good news,” said Team Philippines chief of mission Manny Lopez, emerging from the monthly Philippine Olympic Committee meeting on Wednesday at the POC office in Pasig City. Diaz is one of seven Filipino athletes in the midst of a free training camp leading to the Games, the others being Rosario, Alkhaldi, swimmer Jessie Khing Lacuna, boxer Mark Anthony Barriga, long jumper Marestella Torres and 5,000-meter bet Rene Herrera. One of seven children by a tricycle driver, who fell in love with the sport while growing up in her hometown, Hidilyn competed in the Beijing Games as a 16-year-old and wound up 11th in a field of 12 in a forgettable stint that had her promising to do a lot better if given the chance to compete again. Set to compete in the 58-kg division, Diaz qualified for the London Games following strong performances in two qualifiers by the International Weightlifting Federation in Paris and in Pyeongtaek, South Korea. Diaz, the first Filipino weightlifter to represent the country in two-straight Olympics, finished ninth overall at the end of the two qualifying tournaments to clinch a spot. Under IWF rules, the top 10 lifters in each divisions after the qualifiers will earn outright berths to the Olympics. In Beijing, she lifted 85 kilos in the snatch and 107 in the clean and jerk for a 192 total, way off the winning effort of 244 by China’s Chen Yanquing. The other members of Team Philippines supported by the International Container Terminal Services Inc., Bank of the Philippine Islands, Mizuno, Samsonite, Petron, TV5, Smart Sports, Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Racing Commission are archers Mark Javier and Rachelle Anne Cabral and BMX rider Danny Caluag. Source:

WADA President issues pre-Olympic warning to doping athletes

Montreal, July 10, 2012 – World Anti-Doping President John Fahey has called on athletes who are doping to withdraw from their national teams and stay away from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. With less than three weeks to the opening ceremony of London 2012, Mr. Fahey has taken the opportunity to highlight the rights of all clean athletes to compete on a level playing field and to gain due reward for their hard work and natural talent. “I say this in the clearest way possible: if you are a doping athlete and you are planning to compete in London then you must withdraw from your Olympic team,” said Mr. Fahey. “Doping is cheating, plain and simple. And if you compete in London as a doped athlete then not only will you be cheating your fellow athletes, you will be cheating sports fans across the world, doing a disservice to your national flag and flouting the ideals of the Olympic Movement. “A doping athlete cannot achieve success, it is a complete contradiction. Even if a doping athlete were to win a medal he or she would never be able to look at themselves in the mirror and say ‘well done, I deserved this’. “The Olympic Games is the absolute pinnacle for many athletes, and for them to train endlessly over a four-year period and then have their efforts belittled by a doping athlete, to me that is complete and utter betrayal of what sport stands for.” Mr. Fahey also applauded the efforts of the world’s anti-doping community in trying to identify doping athletes ahead of the Games, as well as the International Olympic Committee and Games organizers LOCOG for preparing a comprehensive anti-doping program. “These will be the most tested Games in Olympic history and doping athletes must know that they will be under the severe scrutiny of anti-doping officials from the moment they set foot in the Olympic Village,” added Mr. Fahey. “The IOC and LOCOG have prepared an extensive anti-doping program that will analyse up to 6,250 samples while the anti-doping authorities are already sharing intelligence to assist with target testing of athletes under suspicion. “I should also add that UK Anti-Doping is mandated to test athletes in training camps ahead of the Games and has also compiled much intelligence with the co-operation of anti-doping organizations worldwide. “There has been a coherent effort to make London 2012 as ‘clean’ as possible and doping athletes should know that their chances of avoiding detection are the smallest they have ever been.” Despite the work of the world’s anti-doping community, Mr. Fahey stressed that ultimate responsibility lay with athletes as to how free of doping London 2012 will be. “Athletes are responsible for what they put into their bodies and athletes are responsible for whether or not they choose to dope,” added Mr. Fahey. “The world’s ant-doping community can only do so much. If every athlete decides not to dope then we will have a completely dope-free Games, that’s the simple reality. “It is up to the athletes and I urge them to collectively take more responsibility for the sake of clean competition.” Mr. Fahey will be available for further comment at WADA’s pre-Olympic press conference in the Olympic Park at 14:00 on July

IWF Pre-Olympic testing

By July 6, the IWF has carried out 1114 doping tests concentrating on the 84 countries qualified for the London 2012 Olympic Games. 596 In-Competition (IC) and 536 Out-Of-Competition (OOC) controls were effectuated in the past six months. All Continental Qualification Events were tested with a minimum control of 30% of the competing athletes. The positive cases arising from Qualification Competitions by continental breakdown: Africa: 2, Europe: 2, Asia: 2, Pan America: 1, Oceania: 0. Notwithstanding to these results, so far there are 22 positive cases in 2012 and all are treated as accelerated procedures. The OOC controls are reaching out to athletes qualified through Individual Qualification, Wild Card or Reallocation as well as to former Olympic Champions and to those countries with many quotas and historical outstanding weightlifting results. We herby remind you that the London 2012 Olympic Games in competition testing period start on 16 July 2012 and Olympic Athletes will be subject to Doping Controls at any time and any place during the Period of the Olympic Games for all Prohibited Substances and all Prohibited Methods referred to in the Prohibited

IOC announces extension of IOC Athlete Career Programme agreement

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today underscored its firm commitment to the IOC Athlete Career Programme (IOC ACP) by agreeing to an eight-year extension of its cooperation agreement with the Adecco Group, one of the world’s leading provider of human resources solutions. The deal, signed by IOC President Jacques Rogge and Adecco Group CEO Patrick De Maeseneire at the IOC’s headquarters in Lausanne, ensures that athletes around the world will continue to receive a wide range of assistance aimed at helping them transition smoothly into life after sport. Adecco worked with the IOC to implement the ACP in 2005 and since then the programme has provided career development and job placement services to more than 10,000 Olympic athletes from over 100 countries. The programme is based on providing athletes with three key tools: education, life skills and employment. “The extension is another example of how committed the Olympic Movement is to athletes,” said President Rogge. “Athletes are the heart of the Olympic Games and the IOC strives to make sure they are well looked after, both during their athletic careers and after. We are very happy our friends at Adecco will continue to support the IOC Athlete Career Programme and help athletes make the transition from competing on the field of play to competing in the labour market.” “The Athlete Career Programme is embedded in Adecco’s core values of team spirit, entrepreneurship, customer focus and responsibility. Every day our 33,000 colleagues make sure that around 700,000 people have a good job to help them develop their careers. Integrating athletes into the work force is part of our focus. Together with the IOC, we recognise athletes’ transferable skills such as passion, persistence and flexibility. We see it as our duty to assure they have a future after their sports careers. So far, we have supported 10,000 athletes around the globe. We are proud to provide HR services to the Olympic Movement and to be a partner to elite athletes,” said Adecco’s CEO Patrick De Maeseneire. Also on hand for the signing were IOC Director General Christophe De Kepper, IOC Sports Director Christophe Dubi, Adecco Head of Group Communications Stephan Howeg, and Senior Vice President for the IOC ACP Patrick Glennon. The IOC Athlete Career Programme is developed and delivered in over 30 countries by the Olympic Movement – including National Olympic Committees, International Federations and National Federations – in cooperation with Adecco. Athletes at this summer’s Olympic Games are encouraged to learn more about the IOC ACP, which will have a strong presence within the Athletes’