News

The European Junior and U23 Championships which was held between 24th September and 3rd October concluded yesterday in Rovaniemi, the capital of Lapland, Finland.

This competition was planned for 2020 but it was postponed due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The event was organized following the European Covid Protocols to ensure a safe competition for all. Finland has showed that there are great opportunities in sports, especially in these difficult times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Milan Mihajlovic, General Secretary of European Weightlifting Federation, said “The pandemic has influenced everyone, including our sport. Not only were all major events planned for 2020 postponed, but we also had to adapt to the given situation”.

Some of the highlights of this event were the fact that the competition was opened by Santa Claus himself. Rovaniemi is the capital of Lapland, but it is also the hometown of Santa Claus, so the athletes and Technical Officials had the chance to meet him. Apart from this event was also honoured by a visit from representatives of the local municipality and government, as well as the two-time Olympic Champion Lasha Talakhadze. “High profile visitors such as these are important for the promotion of our sport, as well as the morale of the young athletes who are the future of our sport. Praise and support from the community is crucial when we talk about motivating athletes” stated Mr. Mihajlovic.

This year has seen the comeback of European Championships in all age groups after a years’ break due to the pandemic, so there are many things to look forward to. Next year, the Senior Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria and the Junior Championships in Tirana, Albania will also be organized by the European Weightlifting Federation, while the Under 15 and Under 17 Championships venue is yet to be confirmed and bigger plans are expected from this brand new EWF Executive Board.