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Weightlifting stamp in Malta

On the occasion of the Rio Olympic Games this year, the Malta Post issued a weightlifting stamp to commemorate the event. This was the first time ever that Malta Weightlifting sent an athlete to participate at an Olympic Games. Malta participated with seven athletes in four different disciplines, these being: Swimming, Athletics, Shooting and

PUBLIC DISCLOSURES

The IWF reports that as a consequence of the IOC’s reanalyses of samples from the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games (IOC – wave 2), the samples of the following Athletes have returned Adverse Analytical Findings: PASHAYEV, Nizami (AZE) – Dehydrochlormethyltestosterone, Oxandrolone, Stanozolol (S1.1 Anabolic agents) KULESHA, Iryna (BLR) – Dehydrochlormethyltestosterone (S1.1 Anabolic agents) NOVIKAVA, Nastassia (BLR) – Dehydrochlormethyltestosterone, Stanozolol (S1.1 Anabolic agents) RYBAKOU, Andrei (BLR) – Dehydrochlormethyltestosterone, Stanozolol (S1.1 Anabolic agents) CAO, Lei (CHN) – GHRP-2 (S2. Hormones and related substances) CHEN, Xiexia (CHN) – GHRP-2 (S2. Hormones and related substances) LIU, Chun Hong (CHN) – Sibutramine (S6. Stimulants), GHRP-2 (S2. Hormones and related substances) GRABOVETSKAYA, Mariya (KAZ) – Dehydrochlormethyltestosterone, Oxandrolone, Stanozolol (S1.1 Anabolic agents) MANEZA, Maya (KAZ) – Stanozolol (S1.1 Anabolic agents) NEKRASSOVA, Irina (KAZ) – Stanozolol (S1.1 Anabolic agents) SEDOV, Vladimir (KAZ) – Stanozolol (S1.1 Anabolic agents) AKKAEV, Khadzhimurat (RUS) – Dehydrochlormethyltestosterone (S1.1 Anabolic agents) LAPIKOV, Dmitry (RUS) – Dehydrochlormethyltestosterone (S1.1 Anabolic agents) DAVYDOVA, Natalya (UKR) – Dehydrochlormethyltestosterone (S1.1 Anabolic agents) KOROBKA, Olha (UKR) – Dehydrochlormethyltestosterone (S1.1 Anabolic agents) In line with the relevant rules and regulations, the IWF imposed mandatory provisional suspensions upon the Athletes, who remain provisionally suspended in view of potential anti-doping rule violations until their cases are closed. Following the IOC’s decisions, the IWF will be in a position to take over the results management of these cases. Should it be determined in any of the cases that no anti-doping violation was committed, the relevant decision shall also be published. The IWF will not make any further comments on the cases until they are

Goodbye Rio Hello Tokyo

Rio bids the world a fond farewell In a style befitting the carnival traditions of the host city, the Rio 2016 closing ceremony opened in a blaze of colour and a musical backdrop of samba sounds, as dancers twisted and turned to form the outlines of a series of iconic Rio monuments and landmarks, culminating in a multi-coloured depiction of the Olympic Rings. That gave way to the traditional parade of the athletes, led by Greece and host nation Brazil, who with seven golds had enjoyed their most successful Games ever, and culminating with Japan, whose capital city Tokyo will play host to the next edition of the Games in 2020. President Bach then took the stage flanked by the Mayor of Rio Eduardo Paes and Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, as the focus shifted from the current host city to its successor in 2020. As a choir of Rio children sang the Olympic anthem, the Olympic flag was then passed symbolically from Mr Paes, via the IOC President, to Ms Koike also President of the Japan Weightlifting Federation. The stadium was filled by a series of animated depictions of the 33 three sports that will feature at the Tokyo 2020 Games, the motto of which is “Discover Tomorrow”. These include no less than five new sports: baseball/softball, karate, sport climbing, skateboarding and surfing. OC President Thomas Bach was then joined in the centre of the stadium by Rio 2016 Organising Committee President Carlos Nuzman, who described the latest edition of the Games as a victory for sport, which would stay with the host city for ever. “I’m proud of my country, my city and my people,” he said, adding that the Games had renewed pride in the country, singling out the volunteers and athletes for special praise. In his closing address, IOC President Thomas Bach was fulsome in his praise for the host city: “We arrived in Brazil as guests. Today we depart as your friends. You will have a place in our hearts forever,” said President Bach before switching to Portuguese: “Estes foram Jogos Olímpicos maravilhosos, na cidade maravilhosa! (These were marvellous Olympic Games in THE marvellous city!) The IOC President went on to describe the Rio Games as a celebration of diversity, which would leave a lasting positive impact on the host city. “These Olympic Games are leaving a unique legacy for generations to come. History will talk about a Rio de Janeiro before and a much better Rio de Janeiro after the Olympic Games.” President Bach declared the Games of the XXXI Olympiad closed, and in accordance with tradition, he called on the youth of the world to assemble in Tokyo in four years’ time. And with that it was ‘Bye bye Rio”. Source: IOC

Website notice

The International Weightlifting Federation’s website was down for a couple of days after being hacked by Iranian fans. Due to the persisting attacks, we are unable to guarantee the origin and authenticity of some of the content being posted. We kindly ask your patience until a solution is

Talakhadze takes gold and world record

By Brian Oliver at Riocentro, Rio de Janeiro What a remarkable end to 10 days of great weightlifting at the Rio Olympics. Riocentro showcased the outstanding performance by 22-year-old winner Lasha Talakhadze of Georgia. Talakhadze broke Salimi’s snatch world record in the first section of the competition when he lifted 215kg. Salimi took it straight back with 216kg and was favourite going into the clean and jerk. Talakhadze broke a 16-year-old world record held by Hossein Rezazadeh. He returned to the stage an hour after the +105kg competition to have photos taken with his coaches and to kiss the platform where he had performed so well. Salimi’s first clean and jerk attempt was no lift, the second was overruled by all five members of the jury judging it no lift and he never came close with his third. Gor Minasyan of Armenia finished 22kg behind Talakhadze’s 273kg in second place, with Georgia’s Irakli Turmanidze third on 248kg. With no medals going into the event, Georgia finished with a gold and a bronze. Talakhadze made six good lifts, just as he had done in winning the European title in April. Talakhadze’s final lift of 258kg, 11kg more than his second, gave him the world record. It had been set at Sydney 2000 by Rezazadeh, the greatest hero of Iranian weightlifting. “That was enough kilos for me for now,” said Talakhadze. “It’s easier to lift a big weight than to carry the meaning of the gold medal.” Eager for more gold, Talakhadze has set his sights on the European U23 Championships in Israel in December as his next target. “I don’t have that title,” he said. “I want it.” Minasyan and Turmenidze benefited from failed lifts by Salimi and by the Estonian Mart Seim, who made only two good lifts and finished sixth. The Brazilian Fernando Reis, cheered all night, was fifth. There were 21 medal-winning nations, only two short of the record set in Sydney 16 years ago when women’s contests were held for the first

Nurudinov smiles his way to gold and heads for the beach

By Brian Oliver at Riocentro, Rio de Janeiro Ruslan Nurudinov put a smile on the face of his sport when he won the men’s 105kg and gave Uzbekistan their first Olympic weightlifting medal of any colour. Every time he lifts, the shaven-headed Nurudinov smiles. “It helps to fight the stress,” he said. He also lolls his tongue every time. Asked if he had ever bitten it, he said, “No, not yet.” After months of hard work, and a year out recovering from a knee injury, Nurudinov is now looking forward to sleep – and the beach. “I am so tired, so very tired, I just want to sleep,” he said. “Then I want to swim. If I’m lucky, man, I might go to the beach here in Brazil.” He had knee surgery on a damaged meniscus twice in the past two years, and thanked the German doctor whose operation rescue his career. In lifting 431kg and winning by 14kg he lived up to his title of “Pride of Uzbekistan”. “I was given that award, Pride of Uzbekistan, in 2013,” said Nurudinov, 24, who won Asian, World and Universiade titles that year. “There is one higher award, Hero of Uzbekistan, but that is very hard to win. For this gold medal, I don’t think so. But if I win in Tokyo…” Simon Martirosyan of Armenia put in a remarkable performance to take silver at the age of 19, finishing ahead of two men who had beaten him at the European Championships in April with a career-best 417kg. That was 14kg behind Nurudinov. It was Armenia’s first medal in any sport in Rio. “I am the happiest man in the world,” said Martirosyan, who became the youngest medallist ever in this weight category. The bronze went to Kazakhstan’s Alexandr Zaichikov. If Zaichikov’s third clean and jerk had not been overruled it might have been closer. Zaichikov was called up for a press-out by the jury so Zaichikov dropped from first place to third. Nurudinov still had two lifts to come at that point. “I thought it was a good lift but the jury decided otherwise,” he said. Nurudinov had not competed at this weight since he finished third at the 2014 IWF World Championships in one of the most famous contests in weightlifting history. Nurudinov, Kazakhstan’s Ilya Ilyin and the Russian David Bedzhanyan all broke world records in the clean and jerk in a memorable contest at 105kg in Almaty. Ilyin and Bedzhanyan are absent from Rio because of doping bans. Three months before the 2014 Championships Nurudinov had his first surgery. “Somehow I managed to perform in Almaty, and then my knee went bust,” he said. He had a full year of rehabilitation. After a second operation in Germany he had nine months to prepare for Rio. Before last night his only competition since Almaty was in this year’s Asian Championships, where he finished fourth at +105kg. The contest started at 3am in Uzbekistan but “most people would have been watching” said Nurudinov. The hero of the B Group was David Katoatau, who had already become a social media hit at these Games when he carried the flag, or rather danced with the flag, at the opening ceremony. Katoatau raised more cheers than any other lifter, including a Brazilian, throughout the session. Katoatau’s dances became a trademark of his victory in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland two years ago. That was the first gold medal in any global sporting event for Kiribati. “Most people don’t know where Kiribati is,” Katoatau said. “I want people to know more about us so I use weightlifting, and my dancing, to show the world.” Kiribati is suffering “extreme coastal erosion not just of the beaches but also of the land” according to its government. Some scientists have predicted a rise in sea level of 2.3metres, which would have a catastrophic effect on Kiribati’s 21 inhabited islands. “I wrote an open letter to the world last year to tell people about all the homes lost to rising sea levels,” he said. “I don’t know how many years it will be before it sinks.” That letter was distributed at a Commonwealth Games federation meeting by Katoatau’s coach, Paul Coffa. “We don’t have the resources to save ourselves,” Katoatau said. Kiribati also lacks the resources for basic sports facilities. “There was no gym when I started training as a boy, and there is no gym now,” said Katoatau, 32. Katoatau moved to the Oceania Weightlifting Institute when he was 16 and has been coached by Coffa since then. He lives and trains at the Institute is Noumea, New Caledonia. His next target is defending his Commonwealth title in Gold Coast, Australia, in 2018. He won a state reward of $A11,000 ($US8,400) for his Commonwealth gold and used it to build a home for his parents on Tarawa island. It was destroyed in a cyclone soon after being built, he said. “We have built another one, but it’s close to the sea so there is always a worry.” Katoatau, who finished 15th on his Olympic debut in 2008, finished 14th this time with 349kg, 1kg more than his Commonwealth Games effort. “I am 32 but still improving,” he said. Richard Mason, the Canadian who is announcer at every session in Rio, said "Good lift" 13 times in a row at the start of the B Group. The first fail was Giorgi Chkheidze on 173kg. There was another big celebration for the German Jurgen Spiess, who finished with a personal best clean & jerk of 220kg for a total of 390kg. It matched his joy in the European Championships when Spiess made his last lift to earn a place in the team for Rio. “I hope to be back again in four years,” said Spiess, who is looking forward to seeing more of his infant son, Ben. “It has been a very hard time for my girlfriend Julia, because of my training,” said Spiess, 32. “Now I can spend some time at