News

Technical Visit in Rio

Weightlifting Technical Delegate for Rio 2016, Mr. Attila Adamfi, IWF Director General and Ms. Lilla Rozgonyi, Communication and Marketing Director and Ms. Timea Horvath Development and Education Manager conducted Technical Visits before the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. The city of Rio de Janeiro is still similar to a big construction however the infrastructural improvements became visible and usable in the Olympic City. The new terminal of the Galeao International Airport was opened recently which nearly doubles the capacity of the airport. The city government confirmed that the Metro Line 4 which joins Copacabana and Ipanema with the Olympic Centre Barra zone will operate from 1st August. During the Technical Visit the IWF staff has explored Riocentro venue which will be the home of 4 sports (table tennis, boxing and badminton besides weightlifting). In each pavilion has been already started the installation of the spectators tribune and back of house offices. Furthermore in the weightlifting hall the competition stage is in its place and already waiting for the weights and competitors. The IWF representatives had several meetings with the different departments of the Organizing Committee coordinated by Mr. Pedro Meloni, Weightlifting Sport Manager. Among others the Detailed Competition Activity Schedule, the transport schedule and an initiation were discussed. As an initiative in the Common Domain of the 4 sports there will be a so called spectator experience zone where the spectators will have the possibility to try out the 4 different sports on a huge area. The only serious concern is the status of the Hotel in which the technical officials of different sports will be accommodated. However the IWF delegates had personal meetings with the Hotel representatives and they reassured that everything will be ready for July. According to the official statistics the infection of Zika virus is significantly reducing and even more during the winter months, especially in August. It is important to mention that the IWF staff has not met any

IWF Anti-Doping and Methodology of Training Science Seminars in Tehran

On the occasion of the IWF Grand Prix - 1st International Fajr Cup held in Tehran, Iran from 30th May to 2nd June, the IWF delivered an Anti-Doping Seminar and a Methodology of Training Science Seminar aiming to tackle the most recent actualities in both fields and raising awareness to all possible problems they might raise.An opening speech was given by both Dr. Tamás Aján, IWF President and Mr. Ali Moradi, President of the Iranian Weightlifting Federation in front of more than 100 participants- among them coaches, doctors administrators coming from all the Iranian provinces and foreign countries invited by the IRI WF. Dr. Patrick Schamasch, Chairman of the IWF Anti-Doping Commission gave a detailed explanation on the risks that doping represents for the athletes' health, fair play and for the sport in general. The outcomes of the new World Anti-Doping Code and the IWF Special Anti-Doping Policy for the Rio Olympic Games were also highlighted in the thorough presentation of Dr. Schamasch. Following the Anti-Doping Seminar, Mr. Milan Mihajlovic, IWF CRC member made a presentation on Methodology of Training Science in two sessions. More than 70 participants attended and listened to Mr. Mihajlovic who covered many interesting topics during his presentation of three hours, such as: the role of coaches, the importance of warm-up and stretching, bio-mechanics, etc. At the end of the lectures, an exchange with the audience allowed some final clarifications. This conference was held within the framework of the IWF's worldwide Education

IWF statement on the reanalyzes

The IWF has been notified by the IOC regarding presumed Adverse Analytical Findings and Adverse Analytical Findings that resulted from the retesting of the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympic Games samples that also involves medal winners. The IWF closely cooperated with the IOC in the overall retesting procedure. As for Beijing, the results are qualified as presumed Adverse Analytical Findings, meaning that further analyses are currently done on the B samples. Should results be confirmed after these tests, IOC informs the IWF of the presence of Adverse Analytical Findings. The IWF was notified about 10 presumed Adverse Analytical Findings from 2008 Beijing. As for 2012 London, the procedure was slightly different from the one in Beijing and the IOC has informed IWF of the presence of 10 Adverse Analytical Findings. The IWF will follow the obligatory procedure set by its Anti-Doping Policy and by the WADA Code and proceed to the provisional suspension of the athletes as soon as the IOC procedures concluded. This provisional suspension will be introduced on the IWF website according to IWF Public Disclosure Policy. No further comments will be provided until the final decisions are

Olympic Channel reaches landmark agreements with International Sports Federations

Significant progress made with 2016 launch date to be confirmed in coming weeks Olympic Channel Services (OCS) today announced that it has to date reached cooperation agreements with 27 International Sports Federations (IFs) to collaborate on content for the Olympic Channel, marking another significant step on progress toward launch. IOC President Thomas Bach, who recently chaired a joint Olympic Channel Board of Directors meeting at the newly inaugurated OCS facilities in Madrid, said: “The Olympic Channel will mark a major shift in how the Olympic Movement connects with young people all year round. The International Federations have embraced the Olympic Channel and we look forward to working with them on the exciting programming and promotional opportunities. The newly formed Olympic Channel team is making steady progress, with the emphasis on ensuring the product is right and the quality of the programming matches our ambition. We look forward to announcing the 2016 launch date in the coming weeks.” Mark Parkman, General Manager of Olympic Channel Services, said: “Preparations for the launch of the Olympic Channel are on course and the announcement of these cooperation agreements with our IF partners is another important step forward. We expect to make further announcements regarding collaborations with other IFs and stakeholders in the near future. Content production has begun, the technology and platforms are being tested, and there is a growing sense of energy and excitement here among the Olympic Channel team as we prepare for launch this year.” Dr. Tamas Ajan, IWF President said: “The IWF is particularly enthusiastic about this step of the implementation of the AGENDA 2020. Being part of the Olympic movement, we believe that this new platform will increase the fans experience and attract youth to this new way of watching and following sports. We are happy to collaborate with the IOC in achieving greater visibility for Weightlifting.” The creation of an Olympic Channel was one of the key recommendations of Olympic Agenda 2020, aiming to provide a new way to engage young people and core fans in the Olympic Movement, while also promoting the Olympic values on a consistent basis. The Channel will broadcast live sports events, news and athlete stories, as well as historical Olympic footage and official films from the IOC’s archives. There will also be a focus on educational and youth-oriented programming, sustainability, sports science and nutrition, and promoting a healthy and active lifestyle. The Olympic Channel Services team now consists of more than  60 full time employees, representing 20 different nationalities. The Olympic Channel team is composed of experienced broadcast professionals and innovative content-producers working out of two main bases of operation. The commercial and distribution departments are located at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, and the technical and production units operate out of Madrid, Spain. The facility to house the Olympic Channel in Madrid is now complete and the OCS production team has begun working with leading production companies from around the world. The Olympic Channel collaborations aim to complement the International Federations’ current broadcast and distribution arrangements. The Olympic Channel team is currently working with the IFs to create innovative partnerships, including live event coverage, highlights, magazine shows, news coverage and original programming. The IFs with whom OCS has concluded agreements include: Badminton World Federation (BWF) International Basketball Federation (FIBA) International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation (IBSF) International Boxing Association (AIBA) International Canoe Federation (ICF) International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) International Fencing Federation (FIE) International Golf Federation (IGF) International Gymnastic Federation (FIG) International Hockey Federation (FIH) International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) International Judo Federation (IJF) International Modern Pentathlon Union (UIPM) International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) International Ski Federation (FIS) International Swimming Federation (FINA) International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) International Tennis Federation (ITF) International Triathlon Union (ITU) International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) United World Wrestling (UWW) World Archery Federation (WA) World Curling Federation (WCF) World Rowing Federation (FISA) World Rugby (WR) World Sailing (WS) World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) In addition to on-going discussions with other IFs, the Olympic Channel Services team is working to build and strengthen collaborations, including with athletes, National Olympic Committees, Rights-Holding Broadcasters (RHBs), Worldwide TOP Partners, Organising Committees for the Olympic Games, candidate cities, recognised sports organisations, as well as with major digital and social media

Deadline Reminder: 2016 IWF Junior World Championships Tbilisi Final Entries

Member Federations are herewith reminded that the deadline for submitting the Final Entries to the 2016 IWF Junior World Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia is running out on Monday, 6 June! In case you have not yet submitted the Final Entry, here is your last chance to do

New World Records set at the IWF Grand Prix Fajr Cup

The IWF Grand Prix - 1st International Fajr Cup, Qualification Event for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games is held currently in Tehran, the capital city of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The competition organized by the IRI Weightlifting Federation is hosted by the Azadi Sport Complex. Athletes are competing from 31 May until 2 June in the Men’s 85kg, 94kg, 105kg and +105kg bodyweight categories. The absolute star of the first competition day was the local favorite ROSTAMI Kianoush setting two World Records in the 85kg. The new World Record in the Clean and Jerk is now 220kg, while he raised the Total to