Press Release

Qualification System for the Olympic Games LA 2028 has been approved

The Weightlifting Qualification System for the Olympic Games LA 2028 has been approved by the IOC Executive Board, after extensive consultation and collaboration with the IWF. The sport of Weightlifting will be represented at the upcoming edition of the Olympic Games by 120 lifters (60 men and 60 women), competing in 12 bodyweight categories (six for men and six for women). From this total number, 108 athletes will be selected through quota places (including 96 through a Qualification ranking, and 12 from continental representation), six can be selected as Host Country representatives, and another six will come through Universality quota. The qualification timeline will run from July 27, 2026 though May 7, 2028 and will include two main qualification periods and events: Period 1 / 6 events ▪ 2026 IWF World Senior Championships ▪ 2026 IWF Qualifier I ▪ 2027 IWF Qualifier II ▪ 2027 Continental Senior Championships (or Continental Senior Games) ▪ 2027 IWF Qualifier III ▪ 2027 IWF World Senior Championships Period 2 / 4 events ▪ 2027 IWF Qualifier IV ▪ 2028 IWF Qualifier V ▪ 2028 Continental Senior Championships ▪ 2028 IWF World Senior Championships In order to be eligible for the IWF Olympic Qualification Ranking, lifters must achieve three Total results during Period 1 and two Total results during Period 2 The full details of the Weightlifting Qualification System can be found here

IWF appoints Eleiko as Sole Supplier for LA 2028 Olympic Games

The IWF is pleased to announce that Eleiko has been appointed as the Sole Supplier of Weightlifting equipment for the Games of the XXXIV Olympiad, taking place in Los Angeles, USA, in 2028. As part of this agreement, Eleiko will provide all competition, warm-up and training equipment used throughout the Olympic weightlifting programme at LA28, ensuring athletes compete using equipment that meets the highest standards of performance, safety, and precision. Mohammed Jalood, IWF President, stated: “Our International Federation and the entire weightlifting community is very happy with this appointment, as Eleiko has been for many decades a trusted and reliable partner. The quality of its equipment, the innovative technology, and the commitment of the entire team at Eleiko, are a solid guarantee that we will have a great Olympic competition in Los Angeles. The Games are the pinnacle of our activities and we feel extremely confident that doing this together with Eleiko, the sport of Weightlifting will once more show its attractiveness and beauty to the many thousands of spectators at the Peacock Theater, the prestigious site of our competition in LA, and to the millions of fans following the Olympic events in the five continents”. Erik Blomberg, CEO of Eleiko Group, said: “Eleiko is very excited to be appointed Sole Supplier of weightlifting equipment for the LA 2028 Olympic Games. The entire Eleiko team is fully dedicated to delivering an unforgettable Olympic experience for athletes, spectators, and organisers. This appointment builds on Eleiko’s long-standing partnership with the IWF and follows the recent renewal of Eleiko’s Tier 1 agreement as Official Barbell Supplier through the 2025–2028 Olympic cycle. Together, the IWF and Eleiko continue a collaboration spanning decades, united by a shared commitment to the growth, integrity, and future of weightlifting worldwide.” Precision-crafted strength equipment since 1957, Eleiko is headquartered in the Swedish city of Halmstad, where the company remains based today. Certified by the IWF in 1969, Eleiko has since been present at top-level competitions, including several editions of the Olympic Games. In 2011, Eleiko celebrated the 1,000th world record achieved with one of its bars. Today, Eleiko equipment for weightlifting, powerlifting, and strength and conditioning is used in competition venues, training facilities, and gyms in more than 180

Weightlifting confirmed in the core sports programme of the Centenary 2030 Commonwealth Games in India

The city of Amdavad, India (also known as Ahmedabad) has today been formally ratified as the host of the Centenary Commonwealth Games in 2030, marking a historic moment for the Commonwealth Sport Movement. In addition to designating the hosts for 2030, Commonwealth Sport also confirmed that 15-17 sports will feature at Amdavad 2030 – Weightlifting is part of the core sports programme of the competition, comprising also Athletics and Para Athletics, Swimming and Para Swimming, Table Tennis and Para Table Tennis, Bowls and Para Bowls, Para Powerlifting, Artistic Gymnastics, Netball and Boxing. The process to finalise the remainder of the programme will start next month, and the full Centenary Games line-up will be announced in 2026. Weightlifting is part of the programme of the Games since the 1950 edition, held in Auckland (New Zealand). Our sport is also one of the 10 included in the upcoming edition of the event, scheduled between July 23-Agust 2, 2026 in Glasgow (Scotland). “Firstly, on behalf of the Weightlifting family, I would like to address our warmest congratulations to the city of Amdavad and to the Indian authorities for this outstanding success and for having the honour of staging the Centenary edition of the Commonwealth Games in 2030. “Secondly, the IWF extends its deepest appreciation to Commonwealth Sport for the inclusion of Weightlifting in the core programme of the competition. Once more, our lifters will have the opportunity to perform at the highest level in the Games, thus consolidating the strength and popularity of our Sport among the Commonwealth nations and territories. As it is the case since 1950, we will closely co-operate with the 2030 organisers and the Commonwealth Sport to deliver the best possible Weightlifting competition in India!” considered the IWF President Mohammed Jalood. India presented a compelling vision for the 2030 Games, centred in the Gujarat city of Amdavad (Ahmedabad), which will build on foundations laid by Glasgow 2026, enabling India to celebrate the centenary in style.  The first Commonwealth Games were held in 1930 in Hamilton, Canada. Australia topped the medal table at the most recent Games, staged in Birmingham, England, in 2022, with the rest of the top five made up of England, Canada, India and New Zealand. Dr Donald Rukare, President of Commonwealth Sport said: "This is the start of a new golden era for Commonwealth Sport. After a 'Games reset' we head to Glasgow 2026 in fantastic shape to welcome the 74 teams of the Commonwealth before setting our sights on Amdavad 2030 for a special Centenary edition of the Commonwealth Games.  “India brings scale, youth, ambition, rich culture, enormous sporting passion and relevance, and I'm delighted to report strong interest from a range of nations to host the 2034 Games and beyond. We start our next century for the Commonwealth Games in good

Bodyweight categories for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles are defined

Following the encouraging decision taken by the IOC to enlarge the weightlifting programme at the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 – where 12 events (six men, six women) will be contested – the IWF selected the bodyweight categories for the upcoming Olympic rendezvous: MEN: 65kg, 75kg, 85kg, 95kg, 110kg, +110kgWOMEN: 53kg, 61kg, 69kg, 77kg, 86kg, +86kg These Olympic bodyweight categories are included in the recently-approved adjustments of IWF’s 16 bodyweight categories (eight per gender). These new categories will be enforced from August 1, 2026 and are to be used in all IWF competitions. The new approved IWF bodyweight categories are: SENIOR & JUNIOR MEN: 60kg, 65kg, 70kg, 75kg, 85kg, 95kg, 110kg, +110kgWOMEN: 49kg, 53kg, 57kg, 61kg, 69kg, 77kg, 86kg, +86kg YOUTH MEN: 55kg, 60kg, 65kg, 70kg, 75kg, 85kg, 95kg, +95kgWOMEN: 45kg, 49kg, 53kg, 57kg, 61kg, 69kg, 77kg, +77kg The new categories were proposed by the IWF Technical Committee, and were provisionally approved by the IWF Executive Board in its last meeting in Forde (NOR), with the occasion of the 2025 IWF World Championships. They became official after the ratification by the IWF Athletes Commission. IWF

2025 World Weightlifting Day: celebrating 120 years of strength and community

The IWF today marks World Weightlifting Day, celebrating the people and passion that have shaped the sport for more than a century, while looking ahead to a new era of growth and success. This year’s celebration comes just days after a record-breaking IWF World Championships in Forde, Norway (2-11 October 2025), where nearly 500 athletes from 87 nations set 39 new world records. The Championships brought together athletes, fans and volunteers from across the world, filling the 1,700-seat arena with an electric atmosphere. The local community played a key role, with hundreds of Sunnfjord volunteers helping deliver a world-class event. His Majesty King Harald V of Norway also attended the Championships alongside members of the weightlifting community around the world.  Fan engagement around the Championships reached unprecedented levels, showing the sport’s growing global following, especially among younger audiences.  “The strength of weightlifting has always been its people - athletes, coaches, officials and fans united by a shared love and respect. As we celebrate World Weightlifting Day in the 120th year of our Federation, we reflect on incredible moments like those in Førde, but also look ahead. The record-breaking Championships and the unity we saw show the positive direction our sport is moving in. As we prepare for future competitions and the LA 2028 Olympic Games, we remain committed to using weightlifting to bring people together and inspire communities around the world,” said the IWF President Mohammed Jalood. Forde offered moments that captured the very best of weightlifting. Solfrid Koanda of Norway, once an electrician, lifted her way to a world title on home soil, now holding the title of both Olympic and world champion. Germany’s Jon Mau made a courageous return to international competition after undergoing six months of chemotherapy, while Kolbi Ferguson of the USA, a former American football player, showcased weightlifting’s growing diversity and appeal. PRK topped the medal standings, and emerging nations across all continents demonstrated exciting progress. This year’s World Weightlifting Day carries extra meaning as the IWF marks its 120th anniversary, honouring the pioneering nations that founded the Federation in 1905 in Germany. To commemorate this milestone, the IWF is releasing a commemorative digital publication celebrating the sport’s rich history and the athletes who have defined it (you can read it here) The celebration also follows the International Olympic Committee’s confirmation of two additional bodyweight categories for weightlifting at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games - ensuring twelve medal events for 120 athletes (60 men and 60 women) competing across five days. The 2025 World Weightlifting Day is therefore the best moment for the IWF to celebrate a rich history, some recent brilliant milestones, but fundamentally a way to look into a bright and promising future for the millions of people involved with our Sport in the five continents! IWF

IWF Executive Board successfully meets before the Worlds in Forde (NOR)

Under the leadership of IWF President Mohammed Jalood, the IWF held its Executive Board meeting in Forde (NOR) with the occasion of the 2025 IWF World Championships, taking place from October 2-11. Among the main decisions and discussions during the two-day gathering, we can include the update of the IWF By-laws, the successful implementation and delivery of the first cards to coaches under the International Coaching Licence programme, the finalisation of the eight-year agreement with sport apparel manufacturer SBD, the organisation of a World Cup event in 2026 in Samoa, the confirmation of the 2026 IWF World Youth Championships to be held in Bogota (COL), the update on the qualification system for the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028, the choice of Sole Suppliers for LA 2028 (Eleiko) and YOG Dakar 2026 (ZKC), the approval of a ‘Host Bidding Procedure” for the IWF events, the preparation status of upcoming IWF events (IWF World Championships 2026 in Ningbo, China; IWF Junior World Championships in Ismailia, Egypt; and 2027 IWF World Youth Championships in Asuncion, Paraguay), and the presentation of a detailed report about the current ‘Digital Transformation’ project. At the beginning of the meeting, Stian Grimseth, president of the Norwegian Weightlifting Federation and also of the Organising Committee of the World Championships welcomed the entire IWF family in Forde and ensured that everything is in place “for a great and memorable edition” of the IWF showcase. “I know Forde is a small city, but all participants in this event will surely live an unforgettable experience,” declared Grimseth. The first cards of the International Coaching Licence (ICL) programme were delivered - From left to right: José Quiñones (IWF General Secretary), Mohammed Jalood (IWF President), Mohammed Al-Harbi (IWF Vice-President and Saudi Arabia WL Federation President), and Colin Buckley (ICL manager) The IWF President also expressed his confidence that the Championships “will be a milestone in the IWF history, with many great performances and hopefully several World Records”. Mr Jalood acknowledged the excellent work made by the Organisers and wish all the participants “the best of luck” in Forde. Lecturers at the Seminar on Prevention of Competition Manipulation - From left to right; José Quiñones (IWF General Secretary), Kristin Kloster (IOC EB Member), Eirik Haugen Tysse (Norwegian Gambling Authority Senior Advisor), Forrester Osei (IWF Athletes Commission Chair and IWF Ambassador on Prevention of Competition Manipulation), and Atle Hamar  (Norwegian Gambling Authority Director) After the conclusion of the EB meeting, IWF General Secretary José Quiñones and IWF Athletes Commission Chair Forrester Osei took part, as lecturers, in a ‘Seminar on Prevention of Competition Manipulation’, staged by the Forde 2025 Organising Committee and the Norwegian Gambling Authority. The Olympic Movement perspective was also presented, thanks to Kristin Kloster, IOC Executive Board Member in Norway. IWF