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Lynn Jones is 80!

Coach of the Australian team, Lyn Jones has been holding positions in the IWF since 1984. Starting as President of the Oceania Weightlifting Federation and IWF Executive Board Member - until today when he is Member of the IWF Coaching and Research Committee.   Author of the IWF Coaching Manuals and a lecturer for decades he has been travelling the world and teaching weightlifting to several generations. The IWF sends him its warmest wishes and congratulations on his 80th

Weightlifting Family Learns Together at USA Weightlifting Coaching Symposium

Coaches from around the world meet in Miami for the weekend of education & training Nearly 100 weightlifting coaches from around the world gathered in Miami, Florida August 8-11 as USA Weightlifting hosted its Coaching Symposium presented by Ascent Protein. Anchored by a speaker lineup of world-class weightlifting and sports performance experts, participants learned how to be better coaches to their athletes and ambassadors to the sport. “We had an incredible group of speakers and coaches here in Miami,” USA Weightlifting Senior Director of Sport Performance and Coaching Education Mike Gattone said. “This is a terrific service we offer to our members and we are so happy that it was a success.” Speakers included Olympic champions, strength and conditioning coaches for professional sports teams and top sports psychologists. All contributed to fruitful discussions about how to grow coaches’ knowledge, athlete success and businesses. Topics discussed included different approaches to training and coaching techniques, sports psychology and data analytics. “We are here to share ideas and how to be better coaches,” USA Weightlifting Technical Director and three-time Olympic Champion Pyrros Dimas said. “When you talk with different coaches from different countries you learn about different styles and that makes you a better coach.” Dimas, a four-time Olympic medalist, gave a talk about his 26 years in the sport and how that’s applied to his role at USA Weightlifting. Dimas also trained with participants in the training hall, supplied by USA Weightlifting official equipment manufacturer, Rogue Fitness. Coaches from more than a dozen states and Puerto Rico were represented at the Symposium, along with participants from fourteen nations, including Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Costa Rica, England, Guyana, Mexico, Portugal, Slovenia, United States and Uruguay. Over lunch on Saturday, women participants gathered to learn from USA Weightlifting International Coach and Olympian Cara Heads Slaughter. Slaughter runs CHFP Weightlifting near Washington, D.C. and has generated many international-level lifters. Slaughter presented Creating Your Pathway to a Successful Weightlifting Business Model: From Vision to Implementation to empower more women to start and grow successful weightlifting businesses. “There is such a wonderful community of women in our sport,” USA Weightlifting Coaching Education Manager Anna Swisher said. “The lunch provided attendees a great resource as they continue their athletic and entrepreneurial journeys.” Prior to the Symposium’s formal start on August 9, USA Weightlifting held Level 1 and Level 2 coaching and certified nearly 50 new coaches. USA Weightlifting debuted its re-designed Level 2 coaching course at the pre-Symposium, showcasing re-vamped curriculum that promises to bring weightlifting coaches to the next level. “We’ve rewritten this course from the ground up,” USA Weightlifting Coaching Education Manager JP Nicolletta said. “We got some great feedback from the debut, and we look forward to incorporating it into the course.” The new Level 2 course will roll-out nationwide later in

Coaching Seminar in Kenya

The Kenya Amateur Weightlifting Association, on behalf of Eastern and Central Africa Weightlifting, organized a Coaching Seminar in the framework of the IWF Development program in Nairobi, Kenya in July. Coaches of seven countries, Kenya, Uganda, DRC Congo, Zanzibar, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi attended the second regional weightlifting coaching education seminar in Kenya. Dr Kyle Pierce, IWF Coaching and Research Committee member was the lecturer of the 5-day event, who gave tuition about important topics for coaches, such as lifting techniques, developing training programs, recovery techniques and working with youth athletes and beginners. A presentation was made on several existing theories describing what makes certain countries successful in certain sports. This presentation was followed by a group discussion on how specific contributing elements of this success could be modified to fit each country’s individual needs. The characteristics of those countries successful in Weightlifting was also discussed with the notion that the total system must be considered and that attempts to implement any of these features must be modified based on existing conditions and available resources. “The hospitality provided by the hosts, as it has been before, was outstanding. Lodging, meals, and transportation from and to the airport was excellent. The participants were cordial, attentive, and enthusiastic.” “An outstanding job is being done by the leadership in Kenya to organize and develop the region of Eastern and Central Africa,” said Dr

The IWF Opens Disciplinary Proceedings against 5 Athletes on the basis of the Investigations into the Russian doping scheme

Earlier this year, in a major move by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) towards increased transparency and independence in its anti-doping efforts, the IWF delegated the management of its anti-doping program to the International Testing Agency (ITA). As part of this partnership, the IWF in collaboration with ITA, has decided today to assert 5 anti-doping rule violations against Russian athletes based on the evidence arising from the investigations conducted by Prof. McLaren and the WADA Intelligence & Investigations department (WADA I&I) into the Russian doping scheme. In view of the severity of the asserted anti-doping rule violations and compelling nature of the evidence, the IWF in cooperation with the ITA have also decided to provisionally suspend the relevant athletes. On the behalf of the IWF, the ITA will be prosecuting these cases before the competent jurisdiction, in accordance with the applicable IWF Anti-Doping Policy. These assertions are the result of a close collaboration between IWF and WADA I&I, which provided invaluable support including documentary packages containing the relevant evidence with respect to the individual athletes. The IWF and ITA jointly are conducting follow-up investigations that may lead to further cases being brought in the near future. IWF President Tamas Ajan said: “The IWF regrets these additional cases of doping in our sport from some years ago. We note without any satisfaction that weightlifting was far from the only sport to have been affected by the extensive and historical Russian doping revealed by whistleblowers, the media and WADA. We can be satisfied, however, that the IWF has shown once again our determination to protect clean sport and promote clean athletes. We have not shown any hesitation in taking the right decisions. “While the IWF has done so much to begin a bright new chapter for our sport, we will also do what we can to pursue historical cases of doping, especially when such evidence is provided by partners like WADA. The IWF is grateful to WADA and the ITA for the very detailed and extensive work carried out in preparing the materials and prosecuting the cases arising out of the investigations into the Russian doping scheme” In recent years, the IWF has implemented a comprehensive array of innovative anti-doping measures, aimed at ensuring a culture of clean weightlifting. These include the establishment of an independent Clean Sport Commission, suspensions of members with a strong prevalence of historical doping, extensive education and rehabilitation programmes, new bodyweight categories and an Olympic Qualification System that rewards countries with a record of clean athletes. The IWF Anti-Doping Policy can be found here:  IWF Anti-Doping Policy The IWF’s public disclosure page can be found here:  Anti-Doping News For more information, please contact: [email protected]

PUBLIC DISCLOSURE

The IWF reports that based on the evidence arising from the investigations conducted by Prof. McLaren and the WADA Intelligence & Investigations department (WADA I&I) into the Russian doping scheme, disciplinary proceedings have been opened against the following Athletes: IWF reports that Mr. David BEDZHANYAN (RUS) has been charged with (a) violation(s) of Article 2.2 of the IWF Anti-Doping Policy and has been provisionally suspended as of 12 August 2019. In any case where it is determined that the athlete did not commit an anti-doping rule violation, the relevant decision will also be published. IWF will not make any further comments on the case until it is closed.   IWF reports that Mr. Oleg CHEN (RUS) has been charged with (a) violation(s) of Article 2.2 of the IWF Anti-Doping Policy and has been provisionally suspended as of 12 August 2019. In any case where it is determined that the athlete did not commit an anti-doping rule violation, the relevant decision will also be published. IWF will not make any further comments on the case until it is closed.   IWF reports that Mr. Ruslan ALBEGOV (RUS) has been charged with (a) violation(s) of Article 2.2 of the IWF Anti-Doping Policy and has been provisionally suspended as of 12 August 2019. In any case where it is determined that the athlete did not commit an anti-doping rule violation, the relevant decision will also be published. IWF will not make any further comments on the case until it is closed.   IWF reports that Mr. Egor KLIMONOV (RUS) has been charged with (a) violation(s) of Article 2.2 of the IWF Anti-Doping Policy and has been provisionally suspended as of 12 August 2019. In any case where it is determined that the athlete did not commit an anti-doping rule violation, the relevant decision will also be published. IWF will not make any further comments on the case until it is closed.   IWF reports that Ms. Tima TURIEVA (RUS) has been charged with (a) violation(s) of Article 2.2 of the IWF Anti-Doping Policy and has been provisionally suspended as of 12 August 2019. In any case where it is determined that the athlete did not commit an anti-doping rule violation, the relevant decision will also be published. IWF will not make any further comments on the case until it is closed.

National Referee Seminar in Chinese Taipei

Chinese Taipei Weightlifting Association organized a National Referee Seminar on Aug 3 and 4, 2019 in National Sport University, Taoyuan. CTWA invited  Ms. Reiko Chinen, IWF Technical Committee Member to be the lecturer. More than 70 participants attended, including International Cat. 1 and Cat. 2 license holders and Level A and national Level B referees. Ms. Chinen held a presentation about TCRR modifications since 2017, the new Video Replay Technology, the IWF Anti-doping Policy, and the IOC Rule 50 for Tokyo 2020. Other important topics were Gender Equality and preparations for the Olympic Games. During the Seminar, the participants were highly responsive to lecturers and engaged with each topic. Mr. Sin Hai-Shu, Vice President of CTWA said: “We really appreciated that Ms. Chinen lectured this seminar and helped us communicate the latest updates of the International Weightlifting Federation. “We also used this opportunity to train our Referees, ITOs and NTOs to prepare hosting international events in Chinese Taipei.” Mr. Sin, representing Mrs. Chang Yang Po-Lien, President of Chinese Taipei Weightlifting Association, awarded a Certificate of Appreciation to Ms. Reiko