News and Media

Archive from 2015

Coaching Seminar in Ghana

Widely recognized expert and Coaching and Research Committee Member Dr. Kyle Pierce is upbeat about Ghana’s strong potential in weightlifting, saying that Ghana would be a force to reckon within the near future. Speaking at a seminar organized by the Ghana Weightlifting Federation in the framework of the IWF Development Program held in the Media Centre of the Accra Sports Stadium, he underlines this important opportunity as a follow-up to the project this past summer in which new coaches were trained to promote and coach the sport of Weightlifting in Ghana. The seminar was aimed at educating the 27 coaches who successfully underwent a three month training course that reviewed and reinforced methods of coaching Weightlifting that were taught during the summer project. A long-term plan for training the young Weightlifters was developed. The training plan for these young athletes is to be integrated with their physical development and each phase of training is to be built on the previous phase. The focus will be on general physical development and technique in earlier years with specialized and more intense training added gradually in successive years. Identifying new talents and motivating them to focus on their technique in preparation for the 2015 All African Games was a major issue discussed during the

Mario Vázquez Rana passed away at the age of 82

It is with great sadness that the International Weightlifting Federation has learnt that IOC member and former President of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), Mr Mario Vázquez Raña, passed away at the age of 82. Mr Mario Vázquez Raña dedicated a great part of his life to Olympic sport. He served with great commitment as President of PASO, and had outstanding merit within the Olympic Movement. Mr Vázquez Raña headed the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) from 1979 to 2012, and was Chairman of the Pan American Sports Organisation (PASO) from 1975 until his death. The IWF expresses its deepest condolences to Mr Mario Vázquez Raña’s

2015 IWF World Championships logo unveiled

The Houston Local Organizing Committee for the 2015 World Weightlifting Championships and Congress Meetings, in partnership with the Harris County – Houston Sports Authority, are proud to announce the return of World Weightlifting to the United States after a 40-year absence with the unveiling of the Houston, Texas USA event logo. “We wanted to make sure the logo was a patriotic theme of red, white and blue and that it also incorporated stars to represent the State of Texas,” said Janis Burke, CEO of Harris County – Houston Sports Authority. Houston is proud to host the Championships on behalf of the International Weightlifting Federation and in partnership with the United States Olympic Committee and USA Weightlifting. Houston will be transformed into a competition center at the George R. Brown Convention Center for nine exciting days and nights from November 20 – 28, 2015. An estimated 900 competitors from over 188 affiliated National Federations from all five Olympic continents are expected to participate in this International Olympic Committee sanctioned qualifying event for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympic