News

IWF120y/58 – 1964: Norbert Schemansky clinches fourth Olympic medal!

Norbert Schemansky was already 40 when in 1964 in Tokyo he became the first lifter in history to win four Olympic medals! In the Japanese capital, the US champion, competing in the +90kg category, clinched the bronze, 16 years after his first achievement at this level. Born in 1924, he first got noticed in 1947, after finishing second at the World Championships. In London 1948, at his first Olympics, he was also the runner-up, but four years later, in Helsinki (FIN), he climbed to the highest march of the podium, triumphing in 127.5-140-177.5-445. He skipped the 1956 edition in Melbourne (he was injured), but in Rome 1960, he earned bronze. For his last podium presence in Tokyo, he got his best Olympic performance, lifting 180-165-192.5-537.5. At world level, and after his 1947 achievement, he was crowned champion in 1951, 1953, and 1954. In the 1962 and 1963 editions, he added two silver medals to his impressive roll of honour. Having served in the US Army during World War II, Schemansky fought in the Battle of the Bulge, on European soil. He then worked as a fireman in the US, but was fired when actively preparing for the 1952 Olympics. After his retirement – he had an amazingly long career, from 1947 to 1972, improving 24 World Records on the way – Schemansky worked as a civil engineer. Native from the region of Detroit (Michigan), the US ace died in September 2016, aged

2026 Commonwealth Games: Qualification System defined for Weightlifting

The IWF recently published the Qualification System for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, in which weightlifting is one of the 10 sports on the programme of the competition. The upcoming edition will take place in Glasgow (Scotland) from July 23 to August 2, and a quota of 176 lifters (88 men and 88 women) is available for the IWF. The qualification will include four pathways: 1. Automatic qualification for the host (Scotland), 2. Direct qualification through the 2025 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships (to be held in August 2025 in India); 3. Qualification through a ranking, based on a list of competitions held from June 1, 2025 through May 18, 2026; 4. Bipartite invitation. Each of the eight bodyweight categories for both men and women will be contested by a maximum of 11 lifters, with most of the athletes (128) being selected through the ranking during the qualification period. The host will be able to automatically enter 16 lifters (one per category), the direct qualification will bring another 16 athletes (the winners in each of the medal events at the Commonwealth Championships) and the final 16 competitors will be in Glasgow after receiving a bipartite invitation (aimed at nations not previously qualified through phases 1-3). The IWF World Championships, to be held in October 2025 in Forde (NOR), will be the only IWF-owned event qualifying for the Commonwealth Games. Continental events during the qualification period will also contribute to the establishment of the ranking. Weightlifting was included in the programme of the Commonwealth Games in 1950, and has been since then always present in the event. The Commonwealth Games Federation has 74 member nations and territories in the five continents.    The 2026 Commonwealth Games Weightlifting Qualification System is available

IWF120y/57 – 2009: Creation of the IWF Development Programme

The idea had been launched 30 years earlier, at the end of the 1970s, when a “Development and Assistance Programme” was initiated to “support member countries of a low standard of weightlifting”, but the implementation of this project as we know it nowadays was set in 2009. Since then, formal procedures and requirements have been in place and the scope of the programme has been enlarged, allowing the allocation of direct financial support to potentially all IWF Member National and Continental Federations, as well as regional weightlifting bodies around the world. The amounts received by each of these entities can be used for several types of projects, namely: purchase of weightlifting equipment, organisation of seminars (photo – 2024 clinic in Nepal), support for event participation, the possibility of attending training camps, financing of coaching licenses, and assistance to ITOs (International Technical Officials). Besides the global programme, specific actions can be implemented for federations having suffered an important disruption of their activities due to natural catastrophes or situations of conflict. Moreover, immediate support to lifters is also possible – before the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, an “IWF Athletes Direct Support Programme” was put in place to assist 10 international elite competitors with Olympic potential. The IWF Development Programme has been pivotal, throughout the years, to ensure universal participation of athletes and officials in our

IWF120y/56 – 2016: The first, third Olympic medal for Lydia Valentin

No, there isn’t any mistake in the way the title of this story is written. In 2016, at the Rio Olympic Games, Spain enjoyed its first-ever medal in weightlifting, a feat brilliantly achieved by Lydia Valentin, in the women’s 75kg. With a result of 116-141-257, the Iberian star earned the bronze medal. It was an encouraging improvement after a fifth and fourth place in Beijing 2008 and London 2012, respectively. However, what was initially celebrated as a first podium presence for Spain in the Sport soon became obsolete, with several disqualifications (due to positive doping re-analysis of samples) leading to two more medals for Valentin: in 2018 and 2019, she received retrospectively a silver for her 2008 performance (115-135-250) and then a gold for her 2012 outcome of 120-145-265. Born in February 1985, Valentin may have missed the medal momentum on two occasions but remains the sole Olympic medallist (all genders) for Spanish weightlifting and became one of the most popular athletes in the country. Besides her three Olympic successes, she was a two-time world and four-time European champion. Valentin still qualified for her fourth Olympics, in Tokyo 2020ne, but finished in 10th. “When I received the gold medal from London 2012, almost seven years later, I felt a kind of tranquility and peace. I knew from the beginning that I was the ‘real’ Olympic champion in that event!” commented the Spanish ace, reflecting on the highest moment in her career. Lydia Valentin announced her retirement in September

Olympian Peter Nagy at the helm of the Hungarian Federation

The IWF congratulates Mr Peter Nagy for his recent election as new President of the Hungarian Weightlifting Federation. A former international athlete, Mr Nagy took part in three Olympic Games (London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020ne), getting his best result in the Japanese capital (seventh place). Competing in the heavyweight category, he also took part in 11 editions of the IWF World Championships between 2006 and 2021, ranking sixth in 2013. At continental level, he lifted at 14 European Championships, earning a bronze medal at the 2018 showcase. In Hungary, he was a 20-time national champion. Peter Nagy (right) with IWF Vice-President Attila Adamfi The IWF wishes the best of success to Mr Nagy for his important future endeavours as President of the Hungarian Weightlifting

IWF120y/55 – 1980: Oceania Federation is born in Melbourne

On November 6, 1980, the vibrant Australian city of Melbourne hosted the inaugural meeting of the Oceania Weightlifting Federation (OWF), the fifth and last (in time) IWF continental body. To lead the newly-formed organisation, Les Martyn, from Australia, was elected President, while Bruce Cameron was the first General Secretary of the OWF. Since its foundation, and with the exception of 1983, 1991, 1995, and 2020 annual continental championships have been organised, gathering the 22 national member federations in the continent. From 1993 onwards, the staging of the Oceania Weightlifting Championships incorporates the South Pacific Championships. The junior versions of these events were first staged in 1997, while Youth lifters have had their own event since 2010. In 1993, Melbourne was again in the headlines, as the first Oceanian city to welcome the best lifters on the planet at the IWF World Championships. In 2019, Suva (FIJ) became the first location in the continent organising the IWF World Junior showcase.  Australia remains the most successful country in the region at major events, with four Olympic medals so far, and 11 podium presences (in Total) at the IWF World