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IWF leadership celebrates 120th anniversary in Lausanne

The IWF leadership was today in Lausanne (SUI), the city hosting the IWF Headquarters, for the celebration of the 120th anniversary of our International Federation. The top officials present in the Olympic Capital included the IWF President Mohammed Jalood, the IWF General Secretary José Quiñones, and the IWF Athletes Commission Chair Forrester Osei. The former IWF General Secretary Antonio Urso also attended the celebration. From left to right: Forrester Osei (IWF Athletes Commission Chair), Mohammed Jalood (IWF President), José Quiñones (IWF General Secretary), and Antonio Urso (former IWF General Secretary) On June 10, 1905, in the German city of Duisburg, four founding members – Denmark, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands – created what would be the predecessor of the IWF. The first name of the world body in charge of governing weightlifting (and wrestling at the time) was “Amateur Athletic World Union”. Other nations slowly joined the new organisation, which had 16 members in 1913. In 1920, Weightlifting became the only sport governed by the Federation, and in 1972, the definitive name of ‘International Weightlifting Federation’ was adopted. Presently, the IWF has 195 Member National Federations in the five continents and organises world competitions in Olympic weightlifting. At the Games, our Sport was already present in the first edition in 1896 – in Sydney 2000, the programme was open to women’s participation.   Present in Lausanne also for the ASOIF General Assembly and the 12th International Athletes Forum, the IWF officials were able to blow the candles of the IWF’s celebratory cake, exactly 120 years to the day after the foundation of our organisation. MOHAMMED JALOOD, President: “As one of the oldest international federations and a founding sport of the modern Olympic Games, we are very proud of our rich and prestigious 120-year history. While this is a privileged opportunity to celebrate the feats of our athletes and the hard work of the administrators that preceded us, these 120 years should be a moment to reflect on the future, so that weightlifting can continue inspiring thousands of young athletes in the five continents!” JOSE QUINONES, General Secretary: “We are celebrating this anniversary in a pivotal moment for the history of the IWF. We recently held elections and the entire weightlifting family showed great unity around common goals! That’s the best proof that we remain faithful to the values of our ancestors and that we are now ready to write many other golden pages in the successful history book of our International Federation”. FORRESTER OSEI, Athletes Commission Chair: “I am very happy and honoured to join this celebration, on behalf of all our talented and devoted athletes! Much of our history is made by the achievements of our lifters during these 120 years - thousands of stories made of resilience, sacrifice, determination, hard training, and superb performances. IWF exists to serve the athletes and their support personnel – in return, they all give us, on a daily basis, the inspiration to continue building a bright future!”   IWF

IWF120y/120 – 1905-2025: Happy Birthday IWF!

Exactly 120 years ago, on June 10, 1905, the premises of the International Weightlifting Federation were laid down in the city of Duisburg (GER). The initiative for such a gathering came from the German national body two months earlier. The objective was to create a world union, with the following objectives. 1. To standardise the names, execution, and evaluation of exercises; 2. To hold competitions under standardised regulations; 3. To only accept the presence in these competitions of members affiliated to the world union; 4. To strictly observe the amateur rules; 5. To fix the value of prizes to be awarded; 6. To unify the rules related to records. Despite the invitation being sent to 11 countries, only four were present on that historic day in Duisburg: Denmark, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands. They are the official four founding members of the IWF! The only two points on the agenda of that inaugural meeting were: 1. A resolution on founding an international union in weightlifting and wrestling, and a decision about its name; 2. The creation of a commission, with representatives of these four nations, in charge of elaborating the details of the exercises and the running of international competitions. The first name of the world body in charge of governing weightlifting (and wrestling at the time) was “Amateur Athletic World Union”. Other nations slowly joined the new organisation, which had 16 members in 1913. In 1920, Weightlifting became the only sport governed by the Federation, and in 1972, the definitive name of ‘International Weightlifting Federation’ was adopted. Happy Birthday

IWF120y/119 – 2016: 19-year-old Simon Martirosyan shines for Armenia

Simon Martirosyan is the only lifter representing Armenia with two Olympic medals so far. Born in 1997, he was still a junior athlete, when in Rio 2016 he won the silver medal in the 105kg category, lifting 190-227-417. Some months earlier, at the Europeans in Forde (NOR), he was third, and before that, in 2014, at 17, he won his category at the second edition of the Youth Olympic Games, in Nanjing (CHN). After the Brazilian achievement, Martirosyan (photo) continued to shine, namely by getting two world titles, in 2018 and 2019. In 2021, at the Tokyo Olympics (in the 109kg), the Armenian ace is again very consistent, earning a second silver medal, this time in 195-228-423. Not qualified for the Paris 2024 Games, he shone again in 2025, finishing second at the European Championships. In 2023, despite his fifth place at the Worlds, he performed his best international result, with 200-250-450. As an independent country (since 1996 – before that, many Armenians also shone on the Olympic scene, but under the flag of the Soviet Union), Armenia has a total of 22 Olympic medals, including seven (five silver, two bronze) in weightlifting (the second most prolific sport, after wrestling, the only one with two Olympic champions). Other Armenian lifters with Olympic medals are Tigran Vardan Martirosyan (silver, 2008), Gor Minasyan (silver, 2016), Varazdat Lalayan (silver, 2024), Arsen Melikyan (bronze, 2000), and Gevorg Davtyan (bronze,

IWF120y/118 – 1948: Ibrahim Shams (EGY) wins gold after a 12-year wait

The successful tale of Olympic legends is often made of resilience and patience, but the story of Ibrahim Shams can be ranked at the top of that list. Born in 1914, he was 22 when he took part in his first Olympics, in Berlin 1936. In the 60kg, he earned the bronze medal, after lifting 80-95-125-300 (lifters from Egypt won five medals at those Games). It was his first major international outcome, in a career that was aimed at greater successes. However, after those Games, World War II halted all sports activities, and two editions of the Olympics – 1940 and 1944 – had to be cancelled. In theory, those could have been the most prolific years for Shams, who nevertheless knew that his most illustrious hour was yet to come. Twelve years after his initial Olympic rendezvous, the Egyptian legend was ready to make history in London 1948. Competing in the 67.5 category, he clinched gold at the age of 34, with a solid performance of 97.5-115-147.5-360. Proving that this achievement was not an isolated one, Shams added two gold medals to his roll of honour, at the 1949 and 1951 editions of the World Championships. In Egypt’s Olympic history, Shams became the second athlete to earn two medals (after diver Simaika, at the 1928 Olympics), and the first one to make it in two different editions of the Games. Until his retirement, at almost 40, Shams also improved five World Records during his brilliant career (one in Snatch and four in Clean & Jerk). The Egyptian legend died in

IWF120y/117 – 1972: Gottfried Schödl (AUT), IWF’s longest-serving President

First elected to the IWF Executive Board in 1964, at the age of 40, Gottfried Schödl then became Vice-President in 1968, and in 1972, he was chosen to lead our International Federation. Until the end of his presidency, in 2000, he will become the longest-serving leader in the history of the IWF, a 28-year reign marked by many changes in the sport. Born in 1924 in Vienna, he began his sports career as a skater but switched to weightlifting during his teenage years. If his athlete’s career went unnoticed, his administrator skills were notorious: as President of the Austrian Federation, he was namely responsible for the organisation of the 1954 and 1961 editions of the World Championships, taking place in Vienna. On August 25, 1972 within the frame of the Olympic Games in Munich (GER), delegates at the Electoral Congress chose Schödl (photo: Schödl, right, and Johnson, left, in 1992) by a tiny difference of one vote (the Austrian had 32, while Clarence Johnson, President since 1960, collected 31). In the book he wrote, ‘The Lost Past: A Story of the International Weightlifting Federation’, he recalls that “private turning point” in his life: “Incredible: how often had I been a passive witness of such elections, and now there I was, myself involved up to my ears as a candidate to the highest position in the International Federation”. A highly-respect leader – he was nicknamed “Mr Weightlifting” and considered “an absolute gentleman” – Schödl’s highlights during his long tenure as President include: the official name of the Federation was set as ‘International Weightlifting Federation’, the Press movement was abolished, the women made their entry into the IWF and Olympic programme, and as a stronger promoter of clean sport he decisively introduced an anti-doping strategy into the IWF activities. Also a prolific writer, Schödl attended 11 Olympic Games and 46 World Championships. He passed away in April 2020, aged 95.

IWF120y/116 – 2021: Shi Zhiyong (CHN) completes nine years of invincibility with gold in Tokyo 

From 2012 until 2021, Shi Zhiyong, from China, had a perfect record in all international events he took part in: each participation had been the synonym of a gold medal! Born in October 1993, his success story started at the 2012 Asian Championships, where he was the best in the 69kg category (144-180-324). He then competed in heavier categories, but always topped the podium – the first continental victory was followed by three subsequent ones in 2016, 2019, and 2021. At the world level, he also displayed his supremacy in the IWF showcases of 2015, 2018, and 2019. At the Olympics, he had no problems beating the rest of the field in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020ne (photo). In Brazil (69kg category), he lifted 162-190-352 for the gold, while in Japan (73kg), he was crowned champion with a 166-198-364 performance. At the end of 2021, he got an injury in the back and returned back to competition in December 2023, at the IWF Grand Prix, one of the qualification events for the Paris 2024 Games. He was a silver medallist, an outcome he replicated some months later at the IWF World Cup in Phuket (THA). With a qualification total of 165-191-356, he was behind Rizki Juniansyah (INA), who arrived in Paris with a 164-201-365 performance also from the Thai event. In the French capital, all eyes were set on the 73kg event, where Shi could eventually join the very restricted club of lifters with three Olympic victories. In the end, the Chinese star led the Snatch portion of the competition by 10kg (165kg, against 155kg for the Indonesian ace), but then failed all his Clean & Jerk attempts at 191kg. Juniansyah lifted 199kg and got the gold in the French capital with a total of