News

IWF Mourns the Passing of Guy Koller

The whole IWF family is deeply saddened to hear the sudden passing of Guy Koller, President of the French Weightlifting Federation while attending the Mediterranean Games in Oran, Algeria. As President of the next Olympic Games' host nation's weightlifting federation he was named ex-officio member of the IWF Executive Board  for the period of 2022-2024. IWF is sending its deepest condolences to the French Weightlifting Federation and to Mr Koller's family and loved ones. With his passing weightlifting lost a great leader and friend. He will be greatly missed.

IWF Congratulates Newly Elected General Secretary Antonio Urso

June 30, 2022 – Lausanne, SwitzerlandFollowing the second round of voting (online) for the position of General Secretary, Mr. Antonio Urso of Italy has been elected as the new IWF General Secretary.In a very close race, with 127 valid votes cast, Mr. Urso was elected with 64 votes while Mr. Jose Quinones received 63 votes. In following the IWF Constitution, Mr. Urso received the most votes and thus has been declared the winner.The IWF would like to congratulate Mr. Urso on his election and we are sure that he will make a positive impact on the sport at a crucial time in its history. The IWF would like to thank both Mr. Quinones and Mr Urso for their commitment to the sport of weightlifting with such a close run election proving there is much interest in the sport.IWF President, Mohammed Jalood commented, “I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to Antonio Urso. His extensive years of experience combined with this passion for weightlifting will be a great asset for the IWF in the years ahead. I am looking forward to working with him and my new Executive Board in the years ahead – we have a lot to do but I am confident that with this new team we will bring the IWF to an exciting new level.”Newly elected General Secretary, Antonio Urso said, “What an exciting day it has been. I cannot begin to express my thanks to the IWF family for their confidence. I am looking forward to getting to work with our new President and the entire Executive Board. This is a new era for the IWF and for weightlifting!”The online vote was supervised by the Electoral Commission and the Electoral Manager using the LUMI Global system. The completion of this vote brings the 2022 IWF Electoral Congress to a

IWF statement: 2022 IWF Electoral Election for Secretary General Treasurer

Upon the completion of the 2022 IWF Electoral Congress it has been discovered that in one election the simple majority percentage was miscalculated by the Independent Electoral Commission for the position of Secretary General Treasurer.  Following a query made by Mr Jose Quinones,  to the Electoral Commission on the published result totals for the Secretary General Treasurer, it was deemed that a premature announcement of a winner was announced. As indicated in the IWF Constitution, article 4, reference C, 15.b and 15.c with regards to the election of the Secretary General Treasurer, the winner is required to achieve 50% polled votes plus 1 vote, a simple majority.   In the calculation of the final decision, it was found that the Electoral Commission inadvertently and by human error miscalculated the percentage required for an outright win.  For complete transparency and to ensure the IWF Constitution is followed it has been determined by the Electoral Commission and the Electoral Manager to hold the second round of vote (online) between the top two candidates to determine the winner of the above mentioned position.  As stipulated in the IWF Constitution, all formalities must be completed within 14 days of the Electoral Congress. Therefore, this second round of voting will take place online on Thursday 30 June 2022. The vote for this second round will only be available to the eligible member federations who were present (in person and online) on the date of the 2022 IWF Electoral Congress.    The Electoral Commission unreservedly apologises to the IWF and the two candidates affected by the mistake in the calculations of determining the simple majority for the voting

IWF Renewal Confirmed at Electoral Congress

June 26, 2022 – Tirana, Albania The election of the new IWF President and Executive Board confirmed the strong wish of the IWF member federations for a renewal and change within the organization.While it was essential for some experienced leaders to remain, a total of 12 new members will now join the Board – making for a 66% change in the leadership team. In addition, the female representation was substantially increased above the quota. Furthermore, three dedicated athlete representative positions are now an integral part of the Board, with full voting rights.The new IWF President Mohammed Jalood commented, “I am looking forward to getting started with my new team. We have been given the confidence and trust of our members to bring positive change and this is something that I am dedicated to doing. There is a renewed energy within our organization, I have already had the chance to discuss with my team who are ready to get to work and start delivering good things for our sport.We have a lot of new members and a lot of good experience within the newly elected Executive Board. We have a much stronger female and athlete representation than ever before and we are all focused on the future of weightlifting and ensuring that we work with our Olympic partners.”   The full list of the IWF Executive Board can be

MOHAMMED JALOOD ELECTED NEW IWF PRESIDENT

June 25, 2022 – Tirana, Albania Mohammed Jalood has been elected as the new IWF President. President Jalood brings extensive experience within the sport; having been a weightlifting athlete for 13 years, working within the administration for 26 years and spending the last five as IWF General Secretary. Upon his election he thanked the weightlifting family and out-going Interim President Dr. Michael Irani for all the good work done together. Jalood also remarked “I would like to thank the weightlifting family for all the good work done together over the years. But especially my good friend Mohamed Yousef Al-Mana who withdrew his candidacy to unite the IWF family. Looking ahead, we have a lot of good work to do and we are all committed to the same goal. Today, we have taken the first step in building a stronger organization, one that is more resilient and more ambitious. Today, is a bright day for our sport and I look forward to doing many more good things for our organization together with the entire weightlifting

The 2020 and 2021 IWF Financial Reports Have Been Approved

June 25, 2022 – Tirana, Albania The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) today published its 2020 and 2021 Financial Reports following the unanimous approval by its member federations in the opening of the 2022 IWF Special and Electoral Congress. The audited financial statements were prepared by the independent auditor GrantThorton in accordance with Swiss law and Swiss Auditing Standards. Most notable was the healthy financial state of the organization. All financial documents can be reviewed