News

Zacarias Bonnat elected as third athlete representative on IWF Executive Board

Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Zacarias Bonnat of the Dominican Republic has been elected by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) Athletes’ Commission (AC) as the third athlete representative on the IWF Executive Board. The IWF Constitution allows for up to three IWF AC delegates to serve on the Executive Board to ensure that the athlete voice is fully represented in the federation’s decision-making processes. Bonnat joins IWF AC Chair Forrester Christopher Osei and IWF Vice-Chair Dora Tchakounte as the three athlete representatives on the Executive Board. The vote was carried out online by the members of the IWF AC and will see Bonnat hold the position until the 2022 IWF Athletes' Commission election on 5-16 December 2022, in Bogota Colombia, on the occasion of the 2022 IWF World Championships. IWF General Secretary Antonio Urso said: “We are delighted to welcome Bonnat to the Executive Board and further strengthen athlete representation among our membership. The IWF is fully committed to promoting the interests of the athletes and having three athletes on our Executive Board ensures that their voice is heard and acted upon.” IWF AC Chair Forrester Christopher Osei added: “The IWF Athletes Commission is very happy to have Zacarias as one of our representatives on the Executive Board. We have complete confidence that he will be a valuable addition and will actively contribute to discussions which will impact our fellow weightlifters. As a silver medallist from the recent Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, he will bring vital experience and perspective as one of the world’s best weightlifters to the Executive

Zhou Jinqiang appointed as Deputy Minister of Sport of China

Mr. Zhou Jinqiang, President of Chinese Weightlifting Association, was appointed the Deputy Minister of Sport of China, the official website of Chinese government made the announcement on September. 29.   Under Mr. Zhou's leadership, China weightlifting national team obtained seven gold medals and one silver medal at Tokyo Olympic Games, the best results achieved by China weightlifting in its history.   Congratulations to Mr.

Marcus Stephen was re-elected as Speaker of the Nauru Parliament

H.E. Marcus Stephen, President of the Oceania Weigthlifting Federation and President of the Nauru Olympic Committee was re-elected as Speaker of the Parliament of Nauru on 28 September 2022. The IWF is sending its warmest congratulations on his achievement and wishing him all the

Senior IWF delegation meets with Colombian Weightlifting Federation ahead of record-breaking 2022 IWF World Championships

A senior International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) delegation led by IWF General Secretary Antonio Urso met with the Colombian Weightlifting Federation in Bogota to discuss preparations for the upcoming 2022 IWF World Championships. The World Championships will take place on 5-16 December 2022 and is set to involve more athletes than ever before. Colombian Weightlifting Federation President William Peña and Colombian Weightlifting Federation Director of Events Andrea Peña met with IWF General Secretary Antonio Urso to update him on progress and was joined by IWF Competition Manager Matyas Lencser, and President of the Pan American Weightlifting Federation Jose Quiñonez. During the visit, the delegation had meetings with local and national sports authorities such as the Minister of Sport, Maria Isabel Urrutia who is a Sydney 2000 Olympic Weightlifting Champion, President of the Colombian Olympic Committee Mr Ciro Solano Hurtado and the IDRD to ensure the smooth running of the event. They also met with media to discuss coverage of the event which will be hosted in South America for the first time. Visits were made to hotels with capacity to serve the athletes of the more than 110 federations registered, as well as the restaurants, gyms, meeting rooms and auditoriums to hold the 2022 IWF Special Congress. IWF General Secretary Antonio Urso said: “We are greatly looking forward to making history with these World Championships in Colombia. It will be the first time our flagship event has been hosted in South America and it is set to attract more of the world’s best athletes than ever. We are grateful for the ongoing support and commitment of the Colombian Weightlifting Federation and Colombian authorities and we have no doubt they will stage a world-class event. With the World Championships also serving as a qualification event for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 we are sure our athletes will put on unforgettable

IWF signs agreement with ZKC as official sole supplier for Paris 2024

The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) has signed an agreement with CHINA Hebei ZhangKong Barbell Manufacturing CO. LTD.  (ZKC) to be the federation’s official Sole Supplier for the Olympic Games Paris 2024.ZKC has extensive experience in supplying the highest-standard equipment in weightlifting and was the IWF’s official Sole Supplier for Beijing 2008, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.ZKC will provide all the required equipment to the Paris 2024 Organising Committee in accordance with the IWF Technical Competition Rules & Regulations. In addition, ZKC is entitled to use the "Official Sole Supplier" title in its advertisements.Antonio Urso, IWF General Secretary said:“We are very happy to continue our long-term partnership with ZKC. ZKC has been the IWF’s official supplier at three Olympic Games and has a proven track record of delivering the highest quality equipment for our athletes. We are looking forward to working with them again at Paris 2024 and ensuring our athletes have what they need to compete at their best.”Mr. Zhang Zhiguo, ZKC General Manager said:“We are very proud to have signed this agreement with the IWF and ensure the continuation of ZKC’s affiliation with elite weightlifting. As the Official Sole Supplier, we recognise we have an important responsibility to provide equipment of the highest standards for the Olympic weightlifters. We have developed a strong relationship with the IWF over three Olympic Games and are excited to work with them again at Paris 2024.”The IWF Executive Board had approved ZKC as the official sole supplier for Paris 2024 during its meeting on 1 September

IWF Opens Nomination Process for First Athletes’ Commission Elections

The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) has officially opened the nomination process for the first IWF Athletes’ Commission elections, with National Federations invited to submit candidates up until 3 October 2022. The final list of candidates will be published on 3 November 2022. The elections will then take place on 5-16 December 2022 in Bogotá, Colombia during the 2022 IWF World Championships. It will be the first time that elections have been held for the IWF Athletes’ Commission and reflects the federation’s commitment to ensuring a strong athlete voice is represented. Following the elections, the IWF will break new ground in athlete representation by having three athletes on the IWF Executive Board and also having three athletes as full voting members of the IWF Congress. IWF General Secretary Antonio Urso said: „We are delighted to open up the nomination process for the very first IWF Athletes’ Commission elections. This is a very important step for the IWF as we honour the good governance principles set out in our new Constitution and ensure that athletes are at the heart of our sport. We encourage all National Federations to consider putting forward athletes that can make a valuable contribution to the future of weightlifting.” IWF Athletes’ Commission Chair Forrester Osei added: „This is a very proud moment for me and our sport as we will see athletes elected to the Athletes’ Commission for the first time. The current Athletes’ Commission has worked hard to strengthen the athlete voice within the IWF and these elections mark the next step forward in our progress. We are excited to see the athletes who are nominated and their ideas for the future as we look forward to the elections in December.”  The nomination documents can be found