IWF World Masters Championship reinforces weightlifting as sport for all
The IWF World Masters Championship concluded in Montreal on Saturday 24 August, following nine days of competition which showcased weightlifting as a sport that can be practised by men and women of all ages, body types, and backgrounds.
A total of 689 (385 male and 304 female athletes) from 54 countries competed in the Championship which received the original 1976 Olympic Games competition platform from Montreal. Athletes aged over 35 years of age took part in more than 90 categories divided by age and weight. This year a Preliminary Entry System was introduced to calculate the best 700 athletes per verified entry total registered.
The Championship’s oldest competitor was 87 year old Tsutomu Kobayashi from Japan, who competed in the M80/73kg and lifted a total of 77kg. Meanwhile in the women’s category, Lorraine Pelletier, born in 1943 from the host nation Canada, was the oldest female competitor and lifted a total of 66kg.
The Championships demonstrated the positive mental and physical benefits of weightlifting and the important role it can play in maintaining strength later in life.
IWF President Tamas Ajan said:
“The IWF World Masters Championship has once again demonstrated that people are never too old to get involved in weightlifting. We have seen men and women, from different countries and backgrounds, and different ages from 35 up to 87, come together through their shared love of weightlifting and the benefits it brings them. There are so many advantages of weightlifting and everyone is able to draw something different from the sport. These Championships are about more than who wins or who lifts the heaviest weights, they are about persistence and mental discipline and people challenging themselves to achieve their very best.”
The 2020 IWF Masters World Championships will be in Obrigheim, Germany from the 28 August to 6 September.
