Archive from

2018 IWF World Championships Roundup

582 lifters, 272 women and 310 men from 85 countries gathered in Ashgabat, capital of Turkmenistan to participate at the 2018 IWF World Championships, held on 1-10 November. [caption id="attachment_25349" align="alignright" width="300"] Opening Ceremony[/caption] This year's World Championships was special in several ways. First of all, because of the introduction of the new bodyweight categories. This meant a clean slate of World Standards. The competition welcomed a huge number of entries and high interest for the event among the fans. Led by Weightlifting Federation of Turkmenistan President, Berdinyyaz Myatiyev, the Organizing Committee delivered a fantastic event with a high organisation level. Read a roundup of the key moments and results. Women's 45kg SUKCHAROEN Thunya (THA), who was second last year, confidently won the competition of the lightest women, beating her compatriot, NANTHAWONG Chiraphan, this year's Junior World Champion. The first Youth World Record of the Championships was set by 17 years old ECHANDIA ZARATE Katherin Oriana (VEN) at 90kg. [caption id="attachment_25351" align="aligncenter" width="198"] OM Yun Chol[/caption] Men's 55kg Already three times World Champion, OM Yun Chol (PRK) had no opponent on the field, won all Gold with a 34kg advantage over Silver Medallist. OM also set the Clean and Jerk World Record at 162kg. RUSEV Angel Hriskov (BUL) set the Snatch and Total Youth World Records (108kg, 248kg), while also 17 years old CHOMCHUEN Teerapat (THA) set the Clean and Jerk Record at 141kg. Women's 49kg After a tense competition of Asian lifters, PRAMONGKHOL Chayuttra (THA) took home the Gold Medal, setting two World Records – to 120kg in the Clean and Jerk and to 209 in the Total. TANASAN Sopita (THA), Gold Medallist in the Snatch set the World Record on this lift at 93kg. Bronze Medallist with 206kg, JIANG Huihua (CHN) set 7 Junior World Records in this single event. Men's 55kg The Star of the 2018 Asian Games, IRAWAN Eko Yuli (INA) won his first World Champion title and set the Clean and Jerk Record to 174kg. The 19-year-old Uzbek ERGASHEV Adkhamjon, Junior World Champion this year, set three Junior World Records. Women's 55kg [caption id="attachment_25353" align="alignright" width="186"] IRAWAN Eko Yuli[/caption] SRISURAT Sukanya (THA) was the winner in this bodyweight category, she set the World Record three times and the 127kg and 232kg Total were worthy of Gold. LANDOULSI Nouha from Tunisia, this year’s Junior World Championship Silver Medalist broke the Junior World Record in the Snatch with 97kg. Men's 67kg Chinese athlete CHEN Lijun, 2013 and 2015 World Champion won with 332kg, attempted to break the World Standard with 185kg but failed. Crowd favourite FIGUEROA MOSQUERA Oscar Albeiro (COL) returned to competitive weightlifting and earned a Bronze Medal in the Clean and Jerk with 178kg. Women's 59kg Five lifters shared the Medals in the women’s 59kg bodyweight category. The one who won the most, 2 Golds and 1 Silver was KUO Hsing-Chun (TPE), who also set 4 World Records along the way. Setting a series of Junior World Records, KOHA Rebeca (LAT), 2018 Junior World Champion was third with 227kg. Men's 73kg The Olympic and World Champion SHI Zhiyong (CHI) won all three Gold Medals, achieving 5 World Record altogether, with 360kg in the Total. Several times Youth and Junior World Champion CUMMINGS JR Clarence set 4 Junior World Records. Women's 64kg 2016 Olympic Champion DENG Wei (CHN) won with a significant, 13kg advance, becoming a four-time World Champion. DENG also set two new World Records: 112kg in the Snatch and 140kg in the Clean and Jerk. Men's 81kg Olympic Champion and now four times World Champion LYU Xiaojun finished second on both lifts but won the Gold in the Total with 374kg which is also the new World Record. American MAURUS Harrison James, the youngest in the bodyweight category got to 200kg, setting 3 Junior World Records. [caption id="attachment_25354" align="aligncenter" width="450"] Medallists of the women's 71kg[/caption] Women's 71kg ZHANG Wangli (CHN), with 6 excellent lifts, finished way ahead of her competitors. She set the Clean and Jerk and Total World Records (152kg, 267kg). AHMED Sara Samir Elsayed Mohamed (EGY) 2016 Olympic Bronze Medallist and Junior World Champion this year achieved Junior World Records in the Snatch (111kg) and the Clean and Jerk (141kg). Men's 89kg It was one of those rare competitions where seven lifters were awarded medals after a tight battle, with only 3kg difference between the first and the sixth place.  OKULOV Artem (RUS) ranked highest in the Total with 372kg.  DAVITADZE Revaz (GEO), 2018 Junior World Champion set three Junior World Records, just like Venezuelan VALLENILLA SANCHEZ Keydomar Giovanni.  Men's 96kg Legendary Olympic and World Champion MORADI Sohrab won this bodyweight category and set three World Records (186kg, 230kg, 416kg). Women's 76kg WANG Zhouyu (CHN) impressed the crowd, defeating two times Olympic Champion RIM Jong Sim (PRK) on her very first World Championships. [caption id="attachment_25355" align="alignright" width="213"] DAJOMES BARRERA Neisi Patricia[/caption] DAJOMES BARRERA Neisi Patricia (ECU), Junior World Champion this year set 5 Junior World Records, ending at 142kg in the Clean and Jerk and 259kg in Total. Men's 102kg Iranian HASHEMI Ali stood on the top of the podium again after last year, while Uzbek DJURAEV Akbar broke the Junior World Record in the Snatch with 178kg and the Total with 392kg. Women's 81kg After not being able to lose weight before the competition due to a shoulder injury, Spanish VALENTIN PEREZ Lidia competed in a higher bodyweight category than usual. This didn't stop her winning the Gold Medal with 249kg. [caption id="attachment_25356" align="alignleft" width="200"] VALENTIN PEREZ Lidia[/caption] Men's 109kg Armenian MARTIROSYAN Simon won the Gold, setting World Records on the way, 240kg in the Clean and Jerk and 435kg Total. Women's 87kg  There was a tight competition between AO Hui (CHN) and  KIM Un Ju (PRK), which of the Chinese lifter, Junior and Asian Champion came out as the winner with a Total of 268kg. Men's +109kg Setting seven World Records, TALAKHADZE Lasha , the legendary Georgian Giant had a triumphant victory in the men’s superheavyweight, earning the World Champion title for the third time. Women's +87kg One of the most exciting competitions in Ashgabat, an epic battle between Russian KASHIRINA Tatiana and Chinese  MENG Suping. KASHIRINA ended up on the upper side each time (145kg, 185kg, 330kg). She did a new World Record with almost every lift, piling up seven altogether. Special Awards According to the Team Classification, the first 3 best-performing Men and Women Teams received their trophies during the Closing Ceremony. Women’s Team Classification: China Thailand Kazakhstan Men’s Team Classification: China Belarus Kazakhstan Best Lifter: The IWF Trophy of Best Lifter amongst the women was awarded to Russian KASHIRINA Tatiana, for her performance in the +87kg bodyweight category, becoming World Champion for the fifth time. TALAKHADZE Lasha (GEO) received the men's trophy for his overwhelming victory in the +109kg. See the full list of results here.     — Follow IWF: Facebook Instagram Twitter

Coaching and Techincal Officials Seminar in Madrid

A Coaching and Technical Officials Seminar was organized by the Spanish Weightlifting Federation in Madrid, endorsed by IWF. More than 40 people, coaches, athletes, and judges attended this important event to listen to the presentations of experts in terms of strength, training and anti-doping education. The Conference began with Dr. Juan José González Badillo's speech about Control of frequency and effect of training. The presentation of Mr Tamas Feher - previously head coach for Great Britain, Norway and El Salvador - was based on the physical preparation of a 15-16-year-old athlete and the planning of training in weightlifting. Afterwards, Lucía Piñeiro introduced the audience to women's training presenting her paper entitled Performance faculties in elite weightlifters during the menstrual cycle.  Marta Soler, Technical Official of the AEPSAD (Spanish Agency for the Protection of Health in Sport), spoke about Anti-doping education. Finally, the National Committee of Judges, chaired by José Manuel Fernández Lois, proposed the changes in the regulations from 2017 to 2018. — Follow IWF: Facebook Instagram Twitter

TALAKHADZE triumphed

Setting seven World Records, TALAKHADZE Lasha (GEO) had a triumphant victory in the men’s superheavyweight, earning the World Champion title for the third time. The Georgian giant warmed up on 207kg in the Snatch then set two World Records at 212 and 217kg. He didn’t lower the bar in the Clean and Jerk either, after a 245kg introduction he lifted 252 and 257kg, both World Records. In the Total, he rewrote the Record three times (462, 469, 474). „I think I could go a lot higher in the Clean and Jerk. My maximum was 264kg so far, but this time winning was the most important thing. I’ll train even more and deliver the 264kg lift in the near future.” – TALAKHADZE said surrounded by admirers, taking photographs and signing T-shirt. Well behind, Silver Medallist with 450kg, MINASYAN Gor and Bronze Medallist with 447kg DJANGABAEV Rustam. The Clean and Jerk order was the same as the Total, while another Georgian, TURMANIDZE Irakli was third behind TALAKHADZE and MINASYAN (203kg) in the Snatch, who didn’t lift in the Clean and Jerk because of an injury. This was the last event of the 2018 World Championships in Ashgabat. The IWF flag was ceremonially handed over to the representative of Thailand, where the 2019 IWF World Championships will be

KASHIRINA World Champion for the fifth time

In the superheavyweight, Russian KASHIRINA Tatiana won the Snatch with 145kg, the Clean and Jerk (178,182,185) and the Total (323, 327, 330). She did a new World Record with almost every lift, piling up seven altogether. With that said, the 2016 Olympic Champion, Chinese  MENG Suping kept her on the toes all along. She was behind KASHIRINA with only 1kg in the Snatch and 2kg in the Clean and Jerk. „Everything happened as planned. I didn’t have the World Records on my mind, the only goal was winning the Medals. I respect all my competitors, but I am never afraid or scared to lose to them. Only the results matter.” – said KASHIRINA. One time MENG also set a World Record, 184kg in the Clean and Jerk but it was immediately taken away by the Russian lifter(185kg). More athletes competed for the Bronze Medal, but far behind the winning duo. At the end, KIM Kuk Hyang, second at the 2016 Olympic Games claimed the Snatch Bronze with 130kg and Thai CHAIDEE Duangaksorn the Cleand and Jerk (167kg) and the Total (296kg), who was Junior World Champion in

Champions at the iLiftCLEAN Outreach Booth

Numerous Champions visited the IWF Anti-Doping Outreach organised in the framework of the WADA Legacy Outreach Program at the 2018 World Championships in Ashgabat. The Outreach Program was assisted by the National Anti-Doping Agency of Turkmenistan (NADAT). The iLiftCLEAN Booth was built up in the competition venue close to the Athletes’ entrance until the last competition day. Athletes could come and join, test their knowledge and show their dedication to doping-free sport by lifting the #iLiftCLEAN barbell or signing the Clean Sport Flag made by the Japan Anti-Doping Agency. The Anti-Doping Quiz is available in more than 10 languages. (ENG, FRA, ESP, GER, RUS, CRO, SWE, FIN, JAP, HUN, GRE,

Fourth Gold for the Chinese Women Team

We saw two lifters, AO Hui’s (CHN) and  KIM Un Ju’s (PRK) battle for the first place in the women’s 87kg bodyweight category. AO, Junior and Asian Champion in 2015 won the Snatch with 117kg, a 6kg advantage over 2014 Asian Champion KIM. In the Clean and Jerk, KIM (152kg) could overpower AO with a small difference but in the Total, the Chinese lifter won with 268kg while the PRK athlete couldn't do more than 263kg. Dominican SANTANA PEGUERO Crismery Dominga won the Bronze Medal in the Total with 254kg and the Silver Medal in the Snatch with 116kg. The fourth medallist in the category was VALDES PARIS Maria Fernanda (CHI) who stood on the third place of the podium for her Clean and Jerk performance of 140kg. It is worth to mention Ecuadorian NIEVE ARROYO Oliba Seledina who - being 41 years old - finished seventh in Total and the Clean and Jerk and sixth in the