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IWF Grand Prix: get ready for a great event in Cuba!

The IWF sent this week an invitation to all its National Member Federations for the participation in the IWF Grand Prix I taking place in Havana (CUB), from June 8-18, 2023. This is a crucial competition for lifters around the world as it is included in the list of Qualifying Events for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. In the information package sent by the IWF, the “Competition Regulations” give all the details concerning accommodation, financial conditions for the participating teams, deadlines for registration (preliminary and final entries), visa and covid-19 procedures, local transportation details, eligibility criteria and provisional competition schedule. The next relevant date in this process is May 8, 2023 when all delegations must send their final entries for the competition. Besides all continental championships and the IWF World Championships in September in Riyadh (KSA), two IWF Grand Prix (Olympic qualifiers) are on the programme for 2023: the one in Cuba and the IWF Grand Prix II in Doha (QAT), from December 1-17. The relevant documents related to the participation at the IWF Grand Prix I in Havana are: COMPETITION REGULATIONS Accommodation & Transportation Form IWF E-Entry System Media Registration

The weightlifting clan from Amazonia

Located in the eastern part of the country, on the border with Peru and with no sea access, Pastaza is the biggest Ecuadorian province in terms of surface. But if its 83’000 inhabitants enjoy an immense territory, situated in the Amazonian jungle, they are also proud of the most famous weightlifting family in the South American nation: the Palacios Dajome clan, whose four children are all shining at the international level. There is Neisi, 24, Olympic champion in Tokyo 2020ne in the women’s 76kg, a national hero. There is also Angie, two years younger and bronze medallist at the last IWF World Championships in the women’s 71kg. The third one is German, born in 2003, and fifth at the 2022 Junior Pan-American Championships in the men’s 81kg. Finally, we have Jessica (17), who got three silver medals on the fourth day of the IWF World Youth Championships here in Durres (ALB), in the women's 59kg. After a third place last year in Leon (MEX), Jessica upgraded the colour of the medal, after a personal best of 88-107-195. She was slightly worse than the winner, Turkmenistan’s Medine Amanova (90-109-199). The result was even more impressive after a thrilling final, where two athletes “broke” under the nerves' pressure, Egypt’s Hanin Elsayed and Kazakhstan’s Altynay Tanibergenova. “I stayed focused on my lifts, but it’s obvious that it was a bit disturbing. In these moments, I try to remain concentrated and control my breath. In the end, my performances were quite good,” recalls a smiling Jessica after her successful result. “Before coming here, the number one goal was to improve my personal bests. I did that, but I believe I could even do better… I am quite grateful to all my entourage for these medals!” Talking about the family connection to weightlifting, the 17-year-old Ecuadorian star recalls: “It all came from my brother Javier [deceased], who got my sister Neisi to the sport. Our parents were not connected with it, but he got hooked and ‘pushed’ the others to weightlifting. I started at 11 and from the very beginning my coaches were saying that I was good at it. As I had all the family involved, I continued to train hard and I am doing my own way in the sport”. With an Olympic champion at home, Neisi is obviously the “idol” of her younger sister. “My goal is to compete at the Olympic Games. Whatever comes next is a bonus. And given my age, the most realistic opportunity should be the 2028 Los Angeles Games. I am of course very confident that weightlifting will be at those Olympics. And I’ll continue training hard with that precise objective,” she admits. To reach this competitive level, Jessica has a double training session on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and a single session on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. “It’s a bit complicated to conciliate with the school, but as I am in a high school with a huge sport component the environment there is quite sensitive to my training schedule and travel pogramme,” she concedes. “We have a very good relation between students, as other schoolmates are competing in several sports”. Jessica is living with Neisi and German with Angie, so the question is obvious: when the four siblings are together, what are they talking about? “You could expect that we only discuss weightlifting, but it’s not true. We have other topics, we are young people like all the others. For example, I still didn’t call them. When I am competing, they want to leave me in my ‘world’, in my own space,” confesses Jessica, whose next competition will be the Pan-American championships in her age group. Her older sisters – Neisi and Angie – are currently competing in Bariloche (ARG), at the continental senior showcase, trying to get a “ticket” for the Paris 2024 Olympics. After successfully competing in Albania, Jessica will try to see something of the country, as it is the first time she visits the Balkan nation. “Now, I will go out and visit a bit Durres. I am relaxed and happy, so it will be even more pleasant!” By Pedro Adrega, IWF Communications Photos by Dejni Trebicka

Durres, Day 4: World youth medallists show that weightlifting is a family business

Weightlifters from Turkmenistan, Ecuador, Georgia, Armenia and Korea showed at the IWF World Youth Championships that family connections can help you on your way and on to the podium – and a winner from Kazakhstan put in a good word for neighbours too. In the first session of the day, 16-year-old Park Ju Hyeon (KOR) finished third in snatch and total. He had someone to look up to and learn from when he went into the sport, as his five-years-older brother Park Hyeongo is Asia’s junior champion at 81kg. Next was the women’s 59kg in which 16-year-old Medine Amanova (TKM) won a sweep of golds to make it a great week for her family in Durres, Albania. Her father Gurbandurdy Amanov is Turkmenistan’s national youth coach and her younger sister Ogulshat won the 45kg title on Sunday. Their 18-year-old sister Ogulgerek is a junior lifter who has won an international medal and their two younger brothers aged eight and 11 are on their pathway into the sport. They also have two other sisters who are elite chess players, and their mother excelled at volleyball. “I was a weightlifter myself, I always wanted to win championship medals but it did not happen,” said Amanov, who like his wife graduated at the national sports institute. “Now I am so proud, I am seeing my wish fulfilled through my daughters.” Taking up weightlifting when it is already in your family seems natural. It can make learning easier, helps with training routines, motivation and diet for example. Amanov also pointed out that as a youth coach he knows just how far to push the girls - not too hard - in training. Weightlifting siblings can inspire and motivate each other and Chary Mammedov, general secretary of the Turkmenistan Weightlifting Federation, said, “Medine has been the main motivator for the whole family after she became the Asian youth champion last year. All the country knows her.” In second place behind Amanova was 17-year-old Jessica Palacios Dajome (ECU), whose older sisters are weightlifting stars. Neisi Dajomes won Olympic gold in Tokyo and Angie Palacios, also an Olympian, was on the podium at the IWF World Championships in Colombia in December. For good measure her brother German is due to compete at this year’s Pan American Junior Championships. In the men’s 81kg, third and last medal event of the day, Levan Ochigava (GEO) made five from six in a career-best 143-179-322, having moved up from 73kg, at which weight he won the European youth title. How did he find his way into weightlifting? “It was my uncle, Tornike Kokaia,” he said. “He was an international weightlifter, he took me to training when I was 11 or 12, persuaded me to try weightlifting and that was it – this is the sport for me.” His brother Luka is also a weightlifter. Kwon Dae Hee (KOR) – who made 142-174-316 for snatch bronze and two silvers - has a sister in the sport. Others who just missed the medals are also from weightlifting families. Hovhannes Ghahramanyan (ARM), fourth across the board, has an older brother, Gevorg, who has been on the podium at world and continental age group championships. Fifth-placed Brayan Ibanez Guerrero (CAN) made only two good lifts but he had family support on the night from his mother Abigail Guerrero, who was coaching him, and his 12-year-old sister Emily. On Monday Emily became the youngest international medallist in the sport at 12 years 3 months when she was third in the women’s 55kg. Brayan’s dad Ciro Ibanez lifted for Cuba, and Abigail Guerrero lifted for Spain; they coach their son and daughter at the family’s Beyond Lifting gym in Montreal. “Emily's biggest inspiration has always been her brother,” Abigail said after Emily’s landmark performance. Without their parents’ financial support, Emily and Brayan would not have made it to Albania, their father said. They paid thousands of dollars to fund the trip. Diyorbek Ermatov (UZB) finished third on total and won the snatch gold with 145-169-314. The 73kg winner Yerasyl Saulebekov (KAZ) said he had nobody in the family to introduce him to the sport, but his next-door neighbour did the job. “He is a weightlifting coach and got me started in the sport,” said Saulebekov, Kazakhstan’s first winner of the week here. In a closely contested session Saulebekov made 137-168-305 to edge ahead of Ravin Almammadov (AZE) on 136-167-303. Saulebekov failed with his final clean and jerk attempt of 174kg that would have given him two youth world records. Park made 131-158-289. Amanova always looked the likely winner of the women’s 59kg and would have finished 10kg clear had she not failed, just, with her final attempt at 115kg. She made 90-109-199, with Palacios Dajome on 88-107-195. Athletes from Egypt and Kazakhstan passed out after failing with their final attempts when medals were within their grasp, and the clean and jerk bronze medallist Greta De Riso (ITA) was helped off stage by the doctor after missing at 108kg. That left the B Group lifter Enkileda Carja (ALB) with bronze on total to add to her bronze in snatch. Carja, whose coach Eglantina Kalemi opted for the B Group to help Carja with her weight and to make her international debut less stressful, made an impressive 87-100-187. By Brian Oliver, Inside the

Bariloche, Day 1: USA, Mexico and Venezuela start with gold

USA, Mexico and Venezuela were the first gold medal winners on the initial day of the Pan-American Championships in Bariloche (ARG) on March 27, which saw 26 athletes competing in the two sessions. In the first one, the women’s 45kg and 49kg consecrated respectively Rosielis Quintana Mendoza (VEN), with a total of 160kg, and Jourdan Delacruz (USA), with 198kg. In the lighter category, Mendoza lifted 71kg in the snatch and then 89kg in the clean and jerk, slighter better than the silver medallist, Maria Barco Ramirez (MEX), with 69-88-157. In the 49kg, Delacruz dominated operations, performing a 86kg snatch and then a 112kg effort in the clean and jerk – three gold medals for the North American. US domination wouldn’t restrict to gold, as teammate Hayley Reichardt got the silver in 86-111-197. The third place on the podium was reserved for Mexico, with Andrea Martinez achieving 85 in the snatch and then Yesica Hernandez lifting 101g in the clean and jerk for the third-best total of 182 kg. Among men, two categories were on the programme, the 55kg and 61kg. Mexico and the USA shone once again, with Jose Poox Peralta (MEX) winning in the lighter category, and Hampton Morris (USA) controlling the field in the heavier group. Peralta made 103kg in the snatch and 130 in the clean and jerk (for a total of 233kg), and was followed by Jhony Arteaga Castillo (ECU) in the snatch (102Kg) and overall (228kg). The silver in the clean and jerk went to Juan Barco Rangel (MEX), in 127kg. The bronze medals went to Howard Roche Citron (PUR), with 100-126-226. In the 61kg category, it was Morris all the way through, with 123-158-281. In the snatch, he was followed by Victor Garrido Buenaire (ECU) with 121kg, while the runner-up in the clean and jerk was Arley Calderon Licourt (CUB), with 155kg, who got also the overall silver with 275kg. The bronze linings went to Thiago Felix da Silva (BRA) in snatch (121kg) and overall (271kg), while Victor Guemez Cel (MEX) completed the podium in the clean and jerk (152kg). Between the two sessions of this inaugural day, the Opening Ceremony of the championships took place with the presence of governmental representatives and naturally the highest officials of the Argentinean Weightlifting Federation, the host of the continental showcase. A parade with the flags of the participating countries was completed with traditional local dances.  Earlier in the day, a Press Conference was held and the President of the host National Federation Gustavo Malgor had the occasion of showing his appreciation to all the authorities that made the organization of the event (160 athletes, from 20 nations)

From grassroots to the Olympics

With 17 athletes in Durres (ALB), the US team is the nation with more competitors at the IWF World Youth Championships. Having medalled at the previous six editions of the event, the North American delegation naturally expects to have some podium visibility in 2023. After the third day of the youth global showcase, none of the US lifters has yet reached a top-3 finish, but for Suzy Sanchez, the Team Leader, this is not the main objective.   “With the youth, we just want them to have a good time. It’s very important in terms of development, so they can experience international competition and improve their long-term athletic progress,” states Sanchez. “Therefore, no big expectations other than athletes having fun”. With almost half of the team members (8/17) coming to their first international event, it is fundamentally a time of discovery. “They are all so excited to be here! Many of them had never travelled abroad or to Europe. So, they were quite thrilled to learn about a new culture here in Albania, to try new food, and to make new friends. We spent a lot of time on the beach, so they really enjoyed that”.   However, the US Team Leader admits that there are solid hopes for a strong performance from Corey Robinson, in the men’s 102kg. “He is one of our highest athletes coming to Albania. We would love to see a great result from him”. Competing on Friday, Robinson has an entry total of 266kg in his category. Since the event’s creation in 2009, the US team has won 58 medals in the competition (with a maximum of 16 linings in 2019).   When asked to elaborate on the national youth programme in the USA, Sanchez explains: “We don’t have a specific nationwide model. All of our youth come from our local clubs. In the US, weightlifting has a decentralised training structure, so individual clubs are recruiting locally. Those athletes then qualify for the Nationals and can compete together. It’s a great grassroots effort across the entire nation”.   This model reached its limits during the Covid pandemic and provoked a disruption in the career development of many young athletes. “It definitively impacted our local clubs. As we have such a decentralised system, when many cities shut down due to the pandemic, a lot of our club owners lost their businesses. Many of them were able to rebuild and expanded their services to include online coaching programmes (remote coaching) and they have now large remote teams,” Sanchez recalls. “It also allowed for more shared information across the country, from coaches to coaches and from athletes to athletes. There is always something positive from something like this, so in this case I believe it was the development of online models, virtual coaching symposiums, and even online competitions”.   The always-challenging transition from youth/junior to senior level is also a topic of concern. “Every year, our Youth National Championships grows and grows – at our biggest event, we had five platforms and over 900 athletes. We continue anticipating growth among youth, so it’s going really well,” she admits. “Normally, we have an average of 30% of our youth athletes that proceed then to the senior level. We would like to raise this average, but it’s already quite good. We have a couple of Olympic hopefuls for LA 2028 and some future world team members,” Sanchez reveals.   The question is therefore obvious: from the group of athletes present in Albania, will we see some of them at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles? “That’s the hope!” But for that, weightlifting has to definitively secure its place in the Games’ programme. “I love weightlifting and we should all love seeing weightlifting in the Olympics!” By Pedro Adrega, IWF

Durres, Day 3: Canada does it again as 12-year-old Emily becomes weightlifting’s youngest ever medallist

Emily Ibanez Guerrero lived up to her billing as one of the most exciting young talents in the world when she won three medals at the IWF World Youth Championships in Durres, Albania. In the women’s 55kg Emily was second in the snatch, third in clean and jerk, and third on total behind Gelen Torres Gomez (COL) and Rosalinda Faustino (PHI). She was in tears after failing with her final attempt, having made five good lifts, but soon cheered up as she realised what an achievement she had made – the youngest medallist ever in international weightlifting. “Winning a medal like this has been a dream for me since I was very young,” said Emily, who started learning technique aged six and has “always enjoyed the sport and always enjoyed training”. She had been messing around in the gym since she was “about a year and a half” said her mother and coach Abigail Guerrero. Emily’s 79-98-177 effort, a personal best total, meant that for the second time in 48 hours a 12-year-old Canadian became the sport’s youngest ever medallist. Nobody under 13 had won a medal in international competition before these Championships, according to the OlyFanatics database that has results of 34,000 lifters dating back to 1898. On Saturday Ivy Buzinhani Brustello – Emily’s team-mate, club-mate and friend - won the women’s 40kg title aged 12 years 264 days. Now Emily, whose 12th birthday was on December 27, has made it to the podium aged 12 years 90 days. Both girls train at the Beyond Lifting club in Montreal, run by Emily’s parents. Guerrero lifted for Spain and has won Masters world titles, while her husband Ciro Ibanez was an international lifter for Cuba and coached in France and Spain before moving to Canada. Guerrero coaches both girls and Ibanez coaches his son Brayan, who became Canada’s first ever youth world medallist last year. Brayan, a veteran at 16, lifts tomorrow (Wed) in Durres in the men’s 81kg hoping to post a big enough total to earn selection for Canada’s senior team at the IWF Grand Prix in Cuba in June – an Olympic qualifier. “Emily’s biggest inspiration has always been her brother,” said Guerrero. Emily said, “The two most important things in my life are weightlifting and my family.” She could not call her dad from the Ramazan Njala Sport Complex in Durres because there was no wifi signal after the competition finished. Torres Gomez, the first winner from the Americas here, made six from six for 82-100-182 and Faustino made 78-100-178. Darya Balabyuk (KAZ) took the snatch bronze with 78kg. Pan Hsing Chen from Chinese Taipei was a clear winner in the women’s 49kg. She did not start her snatch attempts until everybody else had finished, made all six of her lifts and had a sweep of gold medals on 73-90-163. Pan, who had competed online in 2020 but never in person at an international event, trains at the same centre as her hero Kuo Hsing-Chun, the 59kg Olympic champion and multiple world record holder. “Kuo is my inspiration,” said Pan, 16, whose two sisters are national level weightlifters. “I am not from a weightlifting family but when I tried it for the first time I knew this was the sport for me. I just love to be on the platform.” The venue was thrown into darkness for a few minutes when Pan and the Chinese Taipei team were taking celebratory photos on the platform but the power cut did not deter them and they took a few by the light of their mobile phones. Second on total was the 15-year-old African youth champion Habiba Abdelfattah (EGY) with 69-83-152. Maria Stratoudaki (GRE) put in an impressive performance, making her final attempt at 86kg to take silver in clean and jerk. That put the 14-year-old, who came into weightlifting from CrossFit, ahead of 13-year-old Nicoleta Cojocaru (MDA) into third place on total with 66-86-152. Cocojaru, third in the snatch behind Pan and Abdelfattah, was Moldova’s first world youth medallist in 11 years. Alexia Sipos (ROU) took bronze in the clean and jerk on 84kg. In the men’s 67kg Serozhya Barseghyan (ARM) missed his final two lifts but had already built a winning lead on total. His 128-147-275 left him 5kg clear of Mohamed Al Marzouq (KSA), the clean and jerk gold medallist who made 121-149-270, and Bharali Bedabrate (IND) on 119-148-267. Nurasyl Arapbay (KAZ) was third in the snatch on 120kg. Barseghyan, whose father is a youth coach, started the sport aged eight and was making his international debut. Both he and the clean and jerk silver medallist Ditto Ika (NRU) cited lifters from another era as role models who have inspired them in the sport. For Barseghyan it was the 1980 Olympic champion Yurik Vardanyan, one of weightlifting’s all-time greats, and for Ika it was his national federation president Marcus Stephen, who became president of Nauru after his illustrious lifting career was over. This was Nauru’s first medal at a world championships for many years, and national team coach Saul Detenamo said the sport was “coming up pretty strong again”. Nauru has six athletes entered in Durres, four men and two women. Al Marzouq was in tears at last year’s World Youth Championships in León, Mexico after an injury forced him to retire after the snatch when he was in second place in the 61kg category. He failed with his first clean and jerk today but then made 143kg and 149kg with his final two attempts. By Brian Oliver, Inside the