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Riyadh, Day 10: Shake-up in Paris rankings after world records for China’s Liao and American Reeves

Liao Guifang bettered her own world record by 5kg to build a big lead at the top of the women’s 71kg rankings for Paris 2024, winning China’s fifth title at the IWF World Championships here. Liao, who set the total record at 268kg in her previous appearance at the Asian Championships in May, bettered it with her second clean and jerk. She then went up again to 153kg to improve her total once more and claim the clean and jerk record set by her team-mate Zhang Wangli five years ago. The 21-year-old finished on 120-153-273 despite failing with her first snatch, and is 12kg clear in the rankings from Angie Palacios from Ecuador, whose 117-138-255 was 6kg below her best effort in qualifying. Liao Guifang (CHN) Olivia Reeves from the United States also made a big move by claiming two junior world records with a superb six-from-six performance that earned her third place on total. “I didn’t have the best preparation for these Championships and never felt, ‘This is going to be it.’ “But it was. You’ve got to make the first to get the second, make the second to get the third… and I just kept making them. It was my first six-for-six in a year and a half.” Reeves, 20, made 111-142-253 to move 5kg ahead of team-mate Kate Vibert into fourth place in the Paris rankings behind Liao, Palacios and Loredana Toma from Romania, who weighed in here without lifting. The Americans, like the Chinese, have team-mates going head-to-head at the top end of the women’s Olympic categories.   Olivia Reeves (USA) “We’re cursed and we’re blessed,” said the US director of coaching Mike Gattone. “We have two in each category fighting it out and you can see what it does. In Cuba (at the last qualifier) Kate did better and Olivia was crying, and this time it’s the other way around. They’re pushing the heck out of each other.” “There’s no animosity, though, said Reeves, whose world records were in clean and jerk and total. “Kate and I are friends and we get along, so does the whole team.” The biggest improver on past performance was Neama Said from Egypt, who was fourth on total on 246kg, ahead of Vibert by 2kg. That was 17kg up on her previous ranking total and moves her nine places from 14th to fifth. Angie Palacios (ECU) Amanda Schott from Brazil was clearly pleased with her 238kg that put her in the top 10, and another who had a good night was the Colombian Miyareth Mendoza. She did not have a total before today, and is now within 7kg of sixth-placed team-mate Mari Sanchez in the long list on 237kg. None of the 11 B Group athletes could catch the best C Group performer Chen Wen-huei from Chinese Taipei, who is ranked 11th for Paris after today’s sessions. For one B Group athlete, however, there was reason to celebrate. While two lifters left the platform in tears after missing all three clean and jerks, Eyglo Sturlodottir made all six attempts in posting the best numbers by an Icelandic woman in any weight category. Sturlodottir, who combines weightlifting with studying to be a doctor, was sick after arriving and felt unwell hours before lifting. “At weigh-in I thought ‘I’m in trouble here’, and I was so nervous I couldn’t eat anything at all. It was the worst I’ve ever been,” she said. “But when I was warming up I started to feel better and that was the best snatch, best clean and jerk and best total in history for Iceland. It was 5kg up on my best total. Eyglo Sturlodottir (ISL) with the President of the Icelandic Federation Helga Hakonardottir and coaches (Photo by Brian Oliver) “I’m going to Wagamama (the Japanese restaurant chain) in the mall now because we don’t have one in Iceland. Noodle soup, chicken – it’s going to be good.” Sturlodottir, who made 102-123-225, is performing so well that she may have to extend her studies beyond the standard six years so she can train more. By Brian Oliver, Inside the Games Photos by Giorgio

Riyadh, Day 10: Qasim wins Iraq’s first World Championships gold medal in any sport

Qasim Hasan enjoyed every moment when he won Iraq’s first World Championships gold medal in any sport. It happened when Qasim made his third straight good lift in the men’s 96kg, claiming snatch gold on 175kg and edging Karim Abokahla from Egypt into second place. Qasim bowed, prayed, kissed the barbell and sat on the discs to savour his achievement. It was Iraq’s best weightlifting result since the 1960 Olympic Games, where Abdul-Wahid Aziz won a lightweight bronze medal to add to his 1959 World Championships bronze. Qasim Hasan (IRQ) It was also his country’s first time on top of the podium in any Olympic sport at a World Championships – in only Qasim's second competition. “I was so, so happy,” said Qasim, 23. “The best result in the history of Iraq weightlifting - it makes me so proud.” It was also a proud moment for the IWF President Mohammed Jalood, who is from Iraq, when presented the medals. Abokahla pulled clear of Qasim in the clean and jerk to win on total. The effort of making his final lift left Abokahla flat on his back in the warm-up room for a few minutes but it earned him victory on 174-213-387 and gave Africa its first winner at these Championships. Karim Abokahla (EGY) Won Jongbeom from Korea was second on 172-212-384 and Qasim third on 175-204-279. To complete a good session for Egypt, Mahmoud Hosny successfully made a jump of 8kg with his final attempt to win clean and jerk bronze. Abokahla, 26, won African titles in his past two outings, posting totals of 340kg at 96kg last October and 375kg at 89kg in Tunis in May. Here he improved again to post the best total of his career in only his second competition at this weight. Won Jongbeom (KOR) Two men who finished fourth in the Olympic Games lifted in the B Group. Sarat Sumpradit, fourth at Rio 2016 in the old 94kg category, made his first snatch at 170kg then declined his remaining lifts because he is focusing on the Asian Games in China, where he will compete in the first week of October. It was a different story for Boady Santavy from Canada, who left the platform shouting, “Come on! Boady’s back!” Santavy, 1kg behind the bronze medallist in Tokyo at this weight, had not lifted in international competition since December 2021 because of a serious elbow injury that required “having my UCL (ulnar collateral ligament) completely reattached”. He had been talking himself up on social media and was challenged to live up to the talk by Pyrros Dimas, with whom he is friendly. “Where’s Pyrros?” Santavy wanted to know after his five-from-six 166-196-362. The triple Olympic champion, who is the performance director for the United States, appeared in the warm-up room to congratulate Santavy. “It was pretty depressing being away so long, but I’ve trained really well since the doctor cleared me around March,” said Santavy. “There are some big numbers coming in Qatar.” The men's 96kg podium That will be in December at the IWF Grand Prix II, the next Olympic qualifier. Santavy, who weighed in below 93kg, will lift at 89kg there. Yeison Lopez Lopez from Colombia was lightest of the 12 in the B Group at 90.62kg but made the best total by 9kg, posting 171-200-371. He will also go down to 89kg, starting at the Pan American Games in October. By Brian Oliver, Inside the Games Photos by Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia

Riyadh, Day 9: Photo Gallery

All photos by Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia [gallery size="large"

Riyadh, Day 9: It’s a happy birthday double for Osei at IWF Congress and on the platform

It was a 34th birthday to remember for Forrester Osei today, if not in the “party-time” way. This afternoon Osei wore a suit to deliver a report on the IWF Athlete Commission’s progress over the past year, and its hopes for the future. His audience at the five-star Intercontinental Hotel in Riyadh was more than 100 delegates at the IWF Congress, where putting athletes at the heart of reform policies was one of the main themes of the day. Forrester Osei between Alex Padure (ROU, left) and Florian Sperl (GER) - Photo by Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia A few hours later he was in his Ghana uniform on the platform at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Olympic Complex, trying to make this year’s IWF World Championships more of a success than last year’s. He did it in style with a career-best total. Osei, who was born in London, brought up in Ghana for 10 years, and now works as a strength and conditioning coach in Qatar, ended up in a Bogotá hospital when he injured his elbow in the 96kg C Group last December and had not competed since then. Photo by Brian Oliver The Athletes Commission chair was in the C Group again here, where he made 151-186-337 with five straight good lifts before failing with the last one. “It was an emotional journey from last year to here, not being able to train for such a long time and undergoing surgery to reconstruct my elbow in February,” he said. “I hadn’t attempted any of these numbers before coming out here so today has been exciting and fun.” A key point of Osei’s address at Congress concerned the Commission’s hope that the IWF and sponsors will support athletes during and after their career. A Transition Programme to help lifters stay in the sport as coaches or technical officials after they retire is part of the IWF’s long-term Strategic Plan that was approved unanimously. “It was great for us to gain seats for athletes to have a say on all the IWF commissions, and we really like the Transition Programme that will give athletes potentially life-changing skills. That’s exciting. “When I came here today I wanted to use the energy I got from that to show that as well as representing the athletes in front of the executive board and the Congress, I can also play the game when I’m feeling positive and healthy. “It’s a positive vibe to show the athletes that in your life you can do much more, whatever the national federation leaders might tell some of them. “We all have something to offer but we just need those doors to be open. I’m proud of what I did today. Anybody who watched me can see that I can be a motivator." Photo by Brian Oliver It was a night of disappointment for the first Israelis ever to compete in an Olympic sport in Saudi Arabia, as both failed to make any gains on their best totals in qualifying. In the women’s 71kg C group, Nikol Rubanovich made only two good lifts in her 95-115-210 while Celia Gold left the platform fearing she had badly damaged her elbow in missing her final attempt. It turned out not to be serious and Gold, who made three good lifts for 97-122-219, said, “It didn’t go to plan after a month of training in Israel, but at least I’m OK.” Gold and Rubanovich had both made entry totals of 230kg. They are joined by two men, Artur Mugurdumov and David Litvinov, and two coaches in being the first team from Israel in any Olympic sport to compete in Saudi Arabia. “Everybody has been very welcoming,” Gold said. The biggest name in the C Group was the Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Chen Wen-huei from Chinese Taipei, who was in a position to move up plenty of places in the Paris rankings when she had a 235kg total with two lifts to come. Chen missed both, though, and moved up one place to ninth on 104-131-235. By Brian Oliver, Inside the

IWF Congress: Unity of the weightlifting family allows unanimous approval of revised Constitution and new Strategic Plan

The IWF lived an extraordinary moment of unity on September 12, on the occasion of its Congress in Riyadh (KSA), the host city of the 2023 IWF World Championships. Two main documents for the future of the International Federations were approved by unanimity: the 2024-2032 IWF Strategic Plan, and the revision of the IWF Constitution.    At the end of the gathering, the IWF President Mohammed Jalood highlighted the importance of the moment: “We showed a great determination to continue building a great future for weightlifting. I am very thankful for the positive spirit of our Member National Federations in the five continents, which clearly know what our priorities are: remain a strong partner in the Olympic movement, reinforce the principles of good governance, and ensure all is done to keep our sport clean”. Mohammed Jalood, IWF President Concerning the first-ever IWF Strategic Plan, it received unanimous support, with 114 delegates validating this essential roadmap in the life of the IWF.    “This Plan resulted from a profound reflection on what is the IWF today and what it should be in the years to come. A transparent, honest, and realistic discussion took place within the weightlifting family – and this diagnosis is the starting point for what comes next. And from now on, what and how shall we develop? How to modernise our organisation? How to adapt it to the 21st-century requirements, in a very competitive international sports environment?” considered Pedro Adrega, the IWF Interim CEO and Chair of the Working Group in charge of the elaboration of this document.   Mr Adrega then summarised each of the four pillars of the Strategic Plan. “The first one is the most obvious one – Athletes. The second pillar is also quite straightforward – Events. The third pillar aims at keeping the IWF safe. And finally, the fourth pillar looks at reaching the best results beyond the IWF”.   Considering that this is only “the first stone in an enormous building”, the also IWF Communications and Marketing Manager made a strong appeal to all delegates present in the room: “But we must not be complacent. The competition is hard. Many new sports want to enter the Olympic club and we cannot rest on our laurels. We cannot take our position for granted. We need to fight – every day, in every action we plan and do. We need to strive for excellence, for great performances, as our athletes do all the time. Let’s get inspired by them, by their devotion to the Sport they love. We have now an additional, important tool to help us do things well. Let’s do them, together, in a spirit of unity, solidarity, and mutual support!” Mr Adrega finalised. Pedro Adrega, IWF Interim CEO and Communications Manager For the Constitution, the support was even more substantial, with a total of 139 positive votes, a unanimous validation of the document. For a successful revision of this document, a 75% majority was needed: it reached 85.2% of the IWF full members.    The update of the IWF Constitution (approved in August 2021) included a formal review of the text, in order to simplify the reading and understanding of its content. Specific amendments clarify membership procedures of National Member Federations, the regulation of continental and regional associations, the call for ordinary, special and electoral congresses, the revised quorum for approval of constitutional changes (from 3/4 to 2/3 of the members), the separation in the functions of the General Secretary and the Treasurer, precisions regarding the terms of office (namely for Executive Board ex-officio members), and updates on the appointment of the CEO.  Members of the IWF Strategic Plan Working Group: Besim Hasani, Maria Cseresnyes, Pedro Adrega, Hidilyn Diaz, Helga Hakonardottir and Attila Adamfi “We have now a Constitution that is more adapted to the modern functioning of our Federation. We haven’t changed any substantial aspect related to good governance mechanisms, we have simply added some precisions to facilitate their implementation,” concluded a “very happy” IWF President at the end of the Congress.   The IWF Congress also approved the 2022 IWF Audited Financial Statements, and all the activity reports from the several IWF Committees and Commissions: Technical, Medical, Coaching and Research, Development and Education Programme, and Athletes.    On the Anti-Doping activities, Benjamin Cohen, Director General of the International Testing Agency (ITA) made a short presentation on the “successful partnership with the IWF”. Mr Cohen underlined the excellent level of co-operation between the two entities – the ITA is managing the entirety of the IWF anti-doping activities – and expressed his hope that in the future “the IWF can progressively reduce the enormous part of its budget dedicated to the fight against doping. These resources could certainly be used for additional Development activities”.   Finally, several personalities connected to the world of weightlifting were awarded by the IWF. The Collar was given to Ursula Papandrea (USA), Sam Coffa (AUS), Craig Walker (CAN), Intarat Yodbangtoey (THA), and Chang Chao-Kuo (TPE), while the Hall of Fame distinction went to Kyle Pierce (USA) and Sabah Abdi Abdulah (IRQ, posthumous).    IWF Communications   Photos by Giorgio

Riyadh, Day 8: Photo Gallery

All photos by Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia [gallery size="large"