News

1st Online PanAm Cup LIVE by ZKC

Nobody would have thought at the beginning of the year that almost all events and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games have to be cancelled or postponed due to a world pandemic. To build on the hiatus of events during the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Pan-American Weightlifting Federation together with the International Weightlifting Federation is introducing the: 1st Online PanAm Cup LIVE by ZKC. The event aims to provide a safe competition opportunity for the athletes training at home by prioritizing health and safety at the time of the Pandemic. Athletes have the choice to compete from their HOME (e.g., garage, terrace, garden, etc.) or, where they are allowed to do so, at their TRAINING FACILITY (e.g., national training centre, local club or gym, etc.). The online event will be held this weekend - 18 to 19 July 2020, where around 70 Athletes from 15 countries will compete with each other. Weightlifters in the Female categories will compete on the 18th July (Saturday) and Male categories will be held on the 19th July (Sunday). The competition will start at 10AM (GMT-5)/ 5PM (CET). The live broadcast of the event can be followed by everyone on the IWF YouTube Channel. What does it make this competition unique by holding it online? Athletes are lifting at the same time but at different locations, and all attempts will be taken by rounds, Athletes are lifting real weights in front of the camera, seeing each other’s attempts via video conference, Athletes are competing against each other - ensuring real competition atmosphere, Trying out a new competition format, The event will be supported by a commentator. The event will be assisted by the IWF Technology and Information System (TIS) and International Technical Officials (ITOs). As this competition will not strictly adhere to the IWF TCRR, the IWF / PAWF will not officially recognize the results and new record(s), however, there will be a virtual Medal Ceremony, awarding the Gold, Silver and Bronze medalist in each category, as usual, Snatch, Clean&Jerk and Total. If you wish to know more about the Course of Competition or Regulation of the online event, including the timetable click on the links. The full entry list will be available before the competition on the IWF website, under the IWF Competition

Postponement of the Youth Olympic Games 2022

Senegal and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have mutually agreed to postpone the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Dakar 2022 to 2026 President Macky Sall's proposal was welcomed by IOC President Thomas Bach, following in-depth discussions on the subject. This postponement meets the requirement of responsibility and the concern for efficiency imposed by current circumstances. The postponement of Dakar 2022 allows the IOC, the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and the International Federations (IFs) to better plan their activities, which have been strongly affected by the postponement of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, by the subsequent postponements of major international sports events, and by the operational and financial consequences of the global health crisis. At the same time, it allows Senegal to carry on the excellent preparations for the Youth Olympic Games. The two leaders, who praised the progress made so far, have jointly renewed their confidence in Dakar 2022 President Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye, IOC Member in Senegal, and both remain fully committed to the great success of these Youth Olympic Games, the first Olympic event ever to be organised in Africa. The IOC and Senegal understand that this news will be disappointing for many young athletes. Both parties can only appeal to their understanding. This agreement results from the large scale of the operational challenges which the IOC, the NOCs and the IFs are facing following the postponement of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. With this in mind, the IOC will continue to offer all IFs and NOC Continental Associations the full content of the educational programmes of the Youth Olympic Games. This will allow for the objectives of this very important and much-appreciated component of the YOG to be maintained through the many events organised between now and 2026, in particular during the Continental Youth Games. “This amicable agreement illustrates the mutual trust between Senegal and the IOC. I would like to express my sincere thanks to President Macky Sall, a great friend and supporter of the Olympic Movement, for this exceptional relationship of trust and quality. For all these reasons, I am sure that, together, we will organise fantastic Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 for Senegal, the entire African continent and all the young athletes of the world,” said IOC President Thomas Bach. “I would like to reiterate that the IOC has my full support for the organisation of the Youth Olympic Games, postponed to 2026. I take this opportunity to reaffirm my confidence in the Executive Board and welcome the commitment of its teams, working side by side with us, to make Dakar 2026, the first Olympic event in Africa, a successful and memorable occasion”, said President Macky Sall. The agreement was approved today by the IOC Executive Board, and will be submitted to the IOC Session for ratification this Friday, 17 July 2020. Source:

Cancellation of the 2020 World University Weightlifting Championships

After careful consideration, the International University Sports Federation (FISU) announced today the cancellation of the 2020 World University Weightlifting Championships that should have taken place in Gangjin (KOR) from 20 to 24 October 2020. In their statement FISU announced the following: " During this challenging period most of countries keep facing today, it is FISU’s duty to make cautious decisions in order to ensure the safety of all people involved in its events. As you know, we have been closely monitoring the current situation and have tried so far to react accordingly in the best possible way. Following the discussions that were held between FISU and your Organising Committee, the situation has been reported and discussed with the FISU Steering Committee that took place on Monday, 13 July. As a result, we hereby confirm the cancellation of the 2020 World University Weightlifting Championship. This has not been an easy decision to make but we truly believe it is the wisest choice in these

Online Education at the Time of COVID-19

The Pan American Weightlifting Federation together with the International Weightlifting Federation held its fifth online seminar on 11th July 2020. The first one was about 'How to live in times of Coronavirus'. It was followed by two (a Spanish and an English edition) Technical Officials' webinar on which International Technical Officials of Category 1 gave presentation to the audience. The last two webinars covered Anti-Doping related topics, again in two languages in order to target all countries of the Pan American Continent and other parts of the world. For the webinars the Zoom platform was used and people could also follow them via the IWF YouTube Channel. Thousands of people from all the world listened to and could benefit from these webinars which are planned to continue with other topics in the near future. To watch all webinars in case you missed them,

Remembering Former World Record Holder and World Champion, Antonio Krastev

It is with great sadness that we have learned that, the Bulgarian born weightlifter Antonio Krastev passed away at the age of 58 due to a tragic accident in the United States. [caption id="attachment_29834" align="alignleft" width="234"] Antonio Krastev - 1987 Ostrava @Bruce Klemens[/caption] With his passing the weightlifting world has lost one of its greatest lifter of all time. Throughout his career he won two World Championships, two European Championships and one Junior World Championships title and hold several world records. He was also named „strongest man on the planet” by an American magazine after his famous snatch of 216 kg in 1987. This record was only beaten at an international competition 30 years later by none other than Lasha Talakhadze (GEO). Although he was considered one of the greatest weightlifter of all time, he never had a chance to compete at the Olympic Games. In 1984, he missed the Games due to political circumstances, in 1988 Bulgaria withdrew from the Games after two of their athletes committed doping offences. Later on, he left Bulgaria for the US where he did not receive an American citizenship in time therefore he missed his third and last chance to compete at the Olympics in 1996. Artie Dreschler, former USA Weightlifting Chair of the Board who was a close friend of Krastev said: "Across the years Antonio trained with us, I had the pleasure of seeing him snatch 200kg on several occasions, and clean and jerk 250kg once, as he prepared for the 1996 Olympics in hopes of earning US citizenship by then, and representing the US in the Atlanta Games. But when he could see that his citizenship could not be gained by then, causing him to miss his third chance at an Olympic Games, he lost his drive to train and retired.” "I’m very sad to see that Antonio came to such an early and tragic end, but I’m truly grateful to have known him. He was a lifter’s lifter and an independent man. I’ll miss him." Although he is not with us anymore, his memory and famous lifts will stay with us forever. The International Weightlifting Federation offers its heartfelt condolences to the Bulgarian and USA Weightlifting Federation and his loved

Weightlifting mourns the loss of John Lear

It is with great sadness that we have learned that John Lear, a hugely influential figure in the history of British Weight Lifting and one of the great characters of UK sport for over five decades, has passed away last week in his home town of Shrewsbury. John Lear was born in August 1935, he grew up in Shrewsbury, England where he attended the elite Shrewsbury School. He developed an enduring love of the town and the school and it was here that he was introduced to rowing and his great passion, weightlifting. The pattern of his life had been set. Upon leaving school, John went to the University of Wales in Cardiff, where he met Myrddin John, who was to become General Secretary of the Welsh Weightlifting Federation and a Vice President of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF). The two would become lifelong friends. Upon graduating, John became a P.E. teacher in North London and continued his career as a weightlifter and developed an interest in coaching. His talents were quickly identified, and John was invited to coach the national teams in South Korea, Iran and China. Later the IWF would invite John to tutor a number of Olympic Solidarity Courses around the world. John worked closely with Al Murray and Louis Martin, the World Champion at 90kg. In 1972 John succeeded Al as the British National Coach and then Director of Coaching and the pair wrote many books together on all aspects of weightlifting. Over more than half a century, John played a key role in the development and success of weightlifting both nationally and on an international level. He represented Great Britain as National Coach at nine Olympic Games, nine Commonwealth Games and numerous World and European Championships, as well as tournaments of every hue. He also sat on the British Olympic Committee and worked with numerous British sporting bodies, including British Rowing, to devise and implement weight training programs. His contribution to weightlifting and British sport in general is unprecedented and will likely never be replicated. British Weight Lifting also paid their tribute to John Lear: “John will be remembered for his loyalty, friendship and great humility as well as his willingness to always share his experience with others, often imparted by his wicked sense of humour.” “He was hugely admired and respected by all who were fortunate to meet him, not just in the UK but all around the World.” “British sport has lost a true stalwart, someone who enriched so many people’s lives and sadly his contribution will never be fully recognised or acknowledged. Our deepest condolences go to his wife Teresa, daughter Katie and two sons.” John will be remembered as an inspirational coach, friend and a true ambassador for weightlifting and he will be sadly missed. IWF offers its condolences to British Weight Lifting and John Lear’s