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First day of the IWF Junior World Championships in Tashkent.

After a long wait, a successful opening day of one of the last qualifying championships for Tokyo 2020 took place. The IWF Junior World Championships in Tashkent had 3 bodyweight categories in action on the first day. Women 45 kg Group A Turkey dominated the field in the women 45kg category. Cansu Bektas (TUR) was the one who stood out getting the Gold medal in Snatch, Clean & Jerk and Total. Her compatriot, Melisa Gunes won Silver medal in Total and Bronze in Snatch. The Total podium was completed by Teodora-Luminita Hincu (MDA) and in Snatch Lada Latushkina from Russia. Cosmina Adriana Pana (ROU) did not have a successful attempt in Snatch, however she won the Silver medal in C&J. Men 55 kg Group A      In the second round, before the opening ceremony, the men's 55 KG category was contested. The clear leader was Ablay Auyelkhanov (KAZ) who won in Snatch and Clean & Jerk and Total, leading the overall table with a difference of 15 kg over the local Ogabek Nafasov (UZB) who won the Silver in Snatch, C&J and Total. Latin America shared the bronze. In Snatch, Juan Miguel Martinez Gonzalez (PAN) won the Bronze. This was the first medal for Panama after 82 years, so it was a historic moment. On the other hand, Benjamin José Zurita Vallejo (ECU) won the Bronze medals in Total and in the C&J after the final unsuccessful attempt (131 kg) of Federico La Barbera (ITA). Women 49 kg Group A    Before the conclusion of the first day, the Women 49 kg Group A competition took place. Windy Aisah Cantika (INA) dominated the competition from the start and managed to take gold in Snatch, C&J and Total with a 6 kg lead of her competitor Mihaela-Valentina Cambei (ROU) who won 3 Silver medals. Russia's Elizaveta Zhatkina took bronze in C&J and Total. Giulia Imperio (ITA) climbed to third place in Snatch and added a bronze for Italy. Colombian Manuela Berrio competed in the extra category. Since last year’s Junior World Championships was postponed due to the health situation of COVID-19, those who were still juniors in 2020 were given the possibility to compete next to the juniors this year even though they are already in the seniors. Those who are competing as “extras” are not able to win medals at the Junior World Championships, they are only here for the qualification points for Tokyo. RESULTS

Final Preparations Before The IWF Junior World Championships

The excitement is palpable in Tashkent. As a result of the great organisation by the Uzbekistan Weightlifting Federation, the Yunusabad Sport Complex is ready for the competition in less than one day. Locals have given a warm welcome to athletes and their teams, federation officials, former weightlifters and journalists who arrived to Uzbekistan to enjoy the event starting tomorrow, Sunday 23 May. The first athletes to arrive, apart from the Uzbeks, came all the way from Indonesia, Turkey, Italy and India. Shortly after, teams from USA, Ukraine, Germany, among others arrived to practice in the days before the competition. This competition not only represents a chance for the juniors to participate in a world championship, but it also represents a unique opportunity for their deepest dreams to come true. Tashkent can be a springboard to Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. SCHEDULE AND GROUPS The IWF Junior World Championships will see 244 athletes from 53 countries participating throughout nine days of competition. On Friday, the competing athletes and countries were confirmed at the Verification of Final Entries Meeting (VFE). To know more about schedules and groups, click on the Start

AFTER CALI, THE OLYMPIC GAMES QUALIFYING EVENTS CONTINUE IN TASHKENT AND KENYA

Last week Cali hosted the South American, Ibero-American and OPEN Senior Championships. This competition had been postponed from March 2020 to 2021 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and it has been one of the last chances to gain qualifying points for the Olympic Games. The Cali Qualification Event was a Silver Level Qualification Event, the last Silver Event in the IWF Competition Calendar for Tokyo 2020. Great results were achieved in Colombia, you can check the result books on the following links South-American / Ibero-American / OPEN . The IWF Absolute Ranking List is still open, however it will be settled on 31 May 2021. Those who are competing from 23-31 May at the IWF Junior World Championship in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and from 26-31 May at the African Championship in Nairobi, Kenya, can still increase their chances of qualifying for the Olympic Games. The Absolute Ranking List for Tokyo will be published in mid-June. Until that it is not perfectly settled who will be those 14 athletes per bodyweight category representing their respective nations.  There are also countries that may be excluded or see their places reduced due to doping issues. Revised Olympic Qualification System for Weightlifting The modified Olympic Qualification System of Weightlifting which has been approved by the International Olympic Committee recently, has introduced a series of modifications, which have been proposed by the International Weightlifting Federation: ●       The best eight lifters from each category, by World Points from the IWF Absolute Ranking, will qualify for the Olympics. In addition the five highest-ranked athletes by Continental Points from the IWF Absolute Ranking (one per continent) will also qualify. ●      The minimum number of events to be eligible for selection is reduced from 6 to 4. ●      To have competed once in an Olympic bodyweight category is sufficient (previously two). ●      It is not necessary to have competed in the third period to be eligible for selection. ●      The best competition of the first period, the best competition of the second period and the third and fourth best competitions of all periods will score. After a tough year, the time has come to confirm the last Olympic spots in the final qualifiers, that will take place in Kenya and Tashkent simultaneously starting

Executive Board Meeting – Tashkent, Uzbekistan

A hybrid Executive Board meeting was held on-site in Tashkent, Uzbekistan prior to the IWF Junior World Championships. Five members of the board were in Tashkent, while the other members connected remotely due to COVID-related restrictions. The meeting was opened by Dr. Michael Irani, IWF Interim President, and Mr Mohammed Jalood, IWF General Secretary. Mr Shakhrillo Makhmudov, IWF Executive Board Member, on behalf of the Local Organizing Committee welcomed everyone and gave a short report on the Junior World Championships. The Executive Board discussed the upcoming Constitutional Congress, Development Projects for Communication and IT, TV Broadcast of the IWF Junior World Championships, Olympic Games Updates, and the IOC IF Development Program. The Board also allocated next year’s IWF Youth World Championships. San Luis Potosi, Mexico was appointed as the host of the 2022 IWF Youth World

PUBLIC DISCLOSURE

THE ITA ASSERTS APPARENT ANTI-DOPING RULE VIOLATION AGAINST AZERBAIJANI WEIGHTLIFTER THE INTERNATIONAL TESTING AGENCY (ITA), ON BEHALF OF THE INTERNATIONAL WEIGHTLIFTING FEDERATION (IWF), ASSERTS AN APPARENT ANTI-DOPING RULE VIOLATION AGAINST AZERBAIJANI WEIGHTLIFTER BOYANKA MINKOVA KOSTOVA. Acting independently on behalf of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), the ITA reports that a sample collected by the ITA during an In-Competition testing mission on 5 April 2021 during the 2021 European Championships in Moscow, Russia from gold medal winner (59 kgs) Ms Boyanka Minkova Kostova, weightlifter from Azerbaijan, has returned an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) for the prohibited steroid stanozolol metabolite. The athlete has been notified of the case and has been provisionally suspended until the resolution of the matter. She has the right to request the analysis of the B-sample. If confirmed, this will potentially be the athlete’s second Anti-Doping Rule Violation (the athlete was previously sanctioned with a period of ineligibility from 10 June 2016 until 10 June 2018 for the presence of the prohibited steroid Dehydrochloromethyl- testosterone). Pursuant to the IWF’s delegation of its anti-doping program to the ITA, the prosecution of the case is being handled entirely by the ITA. Given that the case is underway, there will be no further comments during the ongoing

IWF Coaching and Research Committee meeting May 10, 2021

The IWF Coaching and Research Committee met on May 10, 2021 for most likely the last meeting of the mandate. Because of the Covid-pandemic the work of the IWF CRC has been hindered as planned world-wide roll-out of the IWF Coaching Education system cannot take place: a Coach Education program must have an element of face to face practical sessions. Instead, the CRC is planning a Summer Webinar Series with presentations in the area of Coaching, Research and Coach Education. As approved by the IWF Congress in Pattaya in September 2019, the IWF Fairplay Certificate work is under progress. This is an internet based E-learning platform which introduces the sport of Olympic Weightlifting to a wider audience. Topics such as a glance back into the history of weightlifting and an introduction of the lifts and how it is safe to begin weightlifting training, the physiological and sociological aspects, are presented. At the end each section there is a set of questions to answer, and once one answers correctly one can print out a certificate at home. The CRC approved also proposals for an international Weightlifting Day when our sport can be celebrated throughout the world and delivering the Best Coach Award to the coach of the best Male Team, the best Female Team, the best Male Athlete and the best Female Athlete at World Championships. These and other proposals which are aimed to rejuvenate and modernize the sport will be delivered to the IWF Executive Board for approval. The CRC Chair Mahmoud Magoub and Deputy Chair Karoliina Lundahl thanked the Committee Members for their participation in the work of the