News

IWF Handbook to be updated for 2008-2012

As with all the previous editions, the IWF intends to make a step-by-step and well-considered preparation of the next edition of the IWF Handbook, which contains:the Constitutionthe By-Lawsthe Technical Rulesand the Anti-Doping Policy of the IWF.(The currently valid IWF Handbook is available on this website.)As before, we wish to follow a well-proven procedure, whereby all the competent bodies of the IWF will have repeated opportunities to discuss, debate and approve or reject the various proposals before presenting a comprehensive Draft document to the 2008 IWF Electoral Congress.The procedure starts with the proposals of the National Federations and the Members of the Executive Board or the Committees. Therefore, if these have any proposals for the modification or updating of the IWF Constitution, the By-Laws or the Technical Rules, please forward these by letter, fax or e-mail to the IWF before 1st May

New Members to the Weightlifting Hall of Fame

Since its foundation in 1992, every year the Greats of weightlifting were elected to join the Weightlifting Hall of Fame. In 2006 four prominent figures of the sport's near past were chosen by the Hall of Fame panel to receive this outstanding honour.Alexander Kurlovich (BLR), double Olympic champion, Nicu Vlad (ROM), Olympic champion and Viacheslav Klokov (RUS), world champion received their Diploma and Plaque from Alain Lunzenfichter, Chairman of the Hall of Fame and Dr. Tamás Aján, IWF President at the Annual Congress in Santo Domingo.The fourth member, Mária Takács (HUN) deserved her entry to "eternity" by having participated in 12 women's world championships and capturing 33 out of the maximum of 36 medals. She was not able to travel to Dominica, because she has a newborn baby, so she took over her membership certificate from the same officials in a ceremony held in Budapest, on 15th December

Training course for Beijing 2008 Technical Officials

A training course for weightlifting National Technical Officials to work at the Beijing Olympic Games was held with great success in Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, 22-31 October 2006. The seminar was organised jointly by BOCOG Sport, Mrs. Wang Yan, Weightlifting Competition Manager, and the Chinese Weightlifting Association; and the lecturer was Mr. Myrddin John, IWF Executive Board Member from Wales, one of the most experienced competition officials of the IWF.Altogether 87 referees from twenty-eight provinces from all around China attended the course. Mr. Wang Baoliang, Vice president of the Chinese Olympic Committee, and Mr. Ma Wenguang, President of the Chinese Weightlifting Association also came to the training course. A group photo of participants, lecturers and officialsThe Chinese Referees have commented on the training course: ?This is the best weightlifting training course I have ever attended.?, ?Our national championships can also learn a lot from the high-level organization of IWF international events.?, ?We primarily understand why Olympic Games are of the highest level.?, ?It is a very rare and valuable opportunity of learning about the international way of weightlifting competition management.?, ?I must pay more attention to my English studies in order to serve the Olympic Games.?, etc.. An intense study of the rules and techniques of organising such a large prestigious event was effectuated, with Myrddin John's informative lectures being continually punctuated by intelligent and probing questions from the students who were eager to absorb as much knowledge as possible. During the Beijing Olympic Games, twenty-five national technical officials will be working for weightlifting competitions. Through the training course, thirty-five referees have been selected for further education and training, and finally be qualified to officiate at the Beijing Olympic Games Weightlifting

Foreign coaches in demand

The IWF has noted an increasing demand from National Federations to employ foreign coaches to work with their national selections. Therefore National Federations and those coaches who are willing to work abroad to send their contact details to the IWF. At the IWF Secretariat Gabriella Barany is handling the matter:

Asian Games summary

?The IWF has assessed the organisation of the Asian Games in Qatar, in particular the weightlifting competitions, and concludes that it was a prime event of a very high standard,? says Dr. Tamás Aján, President of the IWF, following his return from Doha. ?We also appreciate the professional activity of the Technical Officials ? a great ?Thank You? to them. A record number of 35 participating nations and seven new world records are indicative that Asia is supreme in our sport: in fact the Asian continent is the strongest one overall. We are very sorry about the four positive results, while it must be noted that an unprecedented 50% (!) of the 173 participating weightlifters were tested in the IWF-DAGOC

Asians conclude battles in Doha

In the women?s heaviest category, the +75kg, the two protagonists celebrated their third face-to-face contest after two world championships. Both times before, the lighter lady ? Korean Jang Mi-Ran, holder of the world record with 318kg ? was on the winning side. In Doha, however, Mu Shuangshuang from China improved the balance to 1:2. Her final score was 317kg.This time, it was Mu Shuangshuang's turn to take the goldThe moment of truth came when Jang missed her 139kg snatch world record lift ? a weight Mu hoisted successfully, giving her 4 kilos on the Korean, which plus she was able to maintain right till the end.In a final effort, Jang raised the winning 182kg barbell overhead, however she could not hold it like she did in Santo Domingo, but dropped it behind her back. Surprise came in the men?s 85kg: gold medal for Kazakhstan. Topping his 2006 World Championship total by 10 kilos, Viacheslav Yershov defeated the number one favourite Chinese Lu Yong. The Kazakh man pulled off in snatch by 8 kilos and kept this advantage for a winning total, whereby he did not even need to take his final jerk attempt.Merely 18 years old, weightlifting?s soaring superstar Ilya Ilin pocketed another set of gold medals with hands down victory in 94kg. He outlifted the 2nd placed Korean Lee by 27kg. Bursting into the weightlifting scenery in 2005 and sweeping two junior and two senior world championships clean since, Ilin added another title to his growing collection: the Asian Games?s.Ilya Ilin (KAZ): irresistibleWinning the 105kg Ahed Joughili of Syria compensated for the disappointment of dropping out in Santo Domingo. His success came despite remaining on his opening weight in snatch, and thanks to his ability to work off that handicap by a superb lift of 222kg in the clean and jerk. Home supporters were disappointed by Qatar?s Asaad Said Saif, who bombed out at 170kg in the snatch.The appearance of the sport?s undoubtedly greatest megastar, Hossein Reza Zadeh (IRI) in the men?s favoured +105kg category was to be a highlight to round up the Doha show. The double Olympic and 10-times world champion came but the show somewhat remained under the expectations, as Reza lifted for him extremely low-weight barbells. Nevertheless, he can put further three Asian gold medals into his cupboard. Unchallenged, the Iranian giant performed ? like in Santo Domingo ? something like a light training before the over-enthusiastic public. If 448kg seemed too low at the World Championships, he totalled 425kg in Doha. Local favourite Jaber Salem was still unable to catch up with the great man. "Thank you for coming!" - Hossein Reza Zadeh wins the