Press Release

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

IWF leadership celebrates 120th anniversary in Lausanne

The IWF leadership was today in Lausanne (SUI), the city hosting the IWF Headquarters, for the celebration of the 120th anniversary of our International Federation. The top officials present in the Olympic Capital included the IWF President Mohammed Jalood, the IWF General Secretary José Quiñones, and the IWF Athletes Commission Chair Forrester Osei. The former IWF General Secretary Antonio Urso also attended the celebration. From left to right: Forrester Osei (IWF Athletes Commission Chair), Mohammed Jalood (IWF President), José Quiñones (IWF General Secretary), and Antonio Urso (former IWF General Secretary) On June 10, 1905, in the German city of Duisburg, four founding members – Denmark, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands – created what would be the predecessor of the IWF. The first name of the world body in charge of governing weightlifting (and wrestling at the time) was “Amateur Athletic World Union”. Other nations slowly joined the new organisation, which had 16 members in 1913. In 1920, Weightlifting became the only sport governed by the Federation, and in 1972, the definitive name of ‘International Weightlifting Federation’ was adopted. Presently, the IWF has 195 Member National Federations in the five continents and organises world competitions in Olympic weightlifting. At the Games, our Sport was already present in the first edition in 1896 – in Sydney 2000, the programme was open to women’s participation.   Present in Lausanne also for the ASOIF General Assembly and the 12th International Athletes Forum, the IWF officials were able to blow the candles of the IWF’s celebratory cake, exactly 120 years to the day after the foundation of our organisation. MOHAMMED JALOOD, President: “As one of the oldest international federations and a founding sport of the modern Olympic Games, we are very proud of our rich and prestigious 120-year history. While this is a privileged opportunity to celebrate the feats of our athletes and the hard work of the administrators that preceded us, these 120 years should be a moment to reflect on the future, so that weightlifting can continue inspiring thousands of young athletes in the five continents!” JOSE QUINONES, General Secretary: “We are celebrating this anniversary in a pivotal moment for the history of the IWF. We recently held elections and the entire weightlifting family showed great unity around common goals! That’s the best proof that we remain faithful to the values of our ancestors and that we are now ready to write many other golden pages in the successful history book of our International Federation”. FORRESTER OSEI, Athletes Commission Chair: “I am very happy and honoured to join this celebration, on behalf of all our talented and devoted athletes! Much of our history is made by the achievements of our lifters during these 120 years - thousands of stories made of resilience, sacrifice, determination, hard training, and superb performances. IWF exists to serve the athletes and their support personnel – in return, they all give us, on a daily basis, the inspiration to continue building a bright future!”   IWF

Mohammed Jalood brilliantly re-elected as IWF President

Mohammed Jalood was re-elected as the IWF President for the period 2025-2029, after receiving 168 votes from the delegates present at the IWF Electoral Congress, taking place this weekend in Riyadh (KSA). First elected at the helm of our International Federation in June 2022, Mr Jalood couldn’t hide his emotion after receiving such an outstanding level of support from the National Federations’ representatives present in the Saudi capital and a few others also attending the Congress online. “I am of course immensely happy and honoured with the confidence and trust the Congress awarded me, but, most importantly, this result demonstrates the unity in the weightlifting family and the satisfaction for the immense work we have done in recent years,” declared Mr Jalood, a former athlete, coach and administrator from Iraq. IWF President Mohammed Jalood after the announcement of his victory After the successful presidential election, the remaining composition of the 2025-2029 Executive Board was also defined by the vote of the participating delegates. For the two next major positions, Mr José Quiñones (PER), President of the Pan-American Weightlifting Federation was elected the new IWF General Secretary, while Ms Ursula Papandrea (USA) was reconducted as the IWF First Vice-President. The two new IWF Vice-Presidents are Mr Mohammed Al-Harbi, from Saudi Arabia and former member of the Board, and Mr Chengliang Liu (CHN), a new entry in this body. The 2025-2029 IWF Executive Board The list of the remaining 12 members of the 2025-2029 IWF Executive Board comprises:Ms Wen Hsin Chang (TPE)Mr Matthew Curtain (GBR) Mr Pyrros Dimas (GRE) Ms Gardencia Du Plooy (RSA) Ms Yassiny Esquivel (CRC) Ms Karolina Lundahl (FIN) Mr Shakhrillo Makhmudov (UZB) Mr Florian Sperl (GER)Ms Sirilak Thatman (THA) Mr Boukar Tikire (CMR)Mr Jerry Wallwork (SAM)Mr Luis Zambrano (ECU) Besides the 17 members elected at today’s Congress, the IWF EB also includes five additional Vice-Presidents, each of them leading their respective continental federation, and three members of the IWF Athletes Commission (including its Chair).  IWF Ordinary Congress The IWF Ordinary Congress, taking place earlier in the day, was officially opened by HH Prince Fahad bin Jalawi Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Vice-President of Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, who welcomed all delegates to Riyadh and highlighted the commitment of the Saudi sport authorities to promote weightlifting in the country. IWF President Mohammed Jalood with HH Prince Fahad bin Jalawi Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud The IWF President and IWF General Secretary then addressed the audience about the work of the 2022-2025 Executive Board and the positive consequence it brought for the permanence of our sport in the Olympic programme. “We are presently a respected Sport, abiding by the highest standards in terms of good governance and fight against doping, just to name the main two areas that caused us many problems in the past,” considered Mr Jalood. The outgoing General Secretary Antonio Urso also spoke about the great improvements made by the IWF in recent years. “This was done in a spirit of unity and great passion for our Sport. I will keep this wonderful weightlifting family forever in my heart,” confessed Mr Urso. In a video message sent to the Congress, the IOC President Thomas Bach confirmed that weightlifting was of “significant importance” for the overall success of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. “You can be proud of the achievements of your athletes,” declared Mr Bach, who is soon leaving the IOC presidency. “I hope you can maintain the same level of co-operation with my successor, IOC President-Elect Ms Kirsty Coventry. From my side, I will now enjoy watching your sport as a big fan of it,” concluded Mr Bach. Stian Grimseth presenting the 2025 IWF World Championships The Congress then approved the independent audit of the 2024 Financial Statements, and the lifting of the suspension status for the National Federations of Gambia, Liberia, Maldives, Mauritania and Senegal, and the approval of membership for the National Federation of Equatorial Guinea. The delegates were also briefed on the latest stage of preparation for the 2025 IWF World Championships, to be staged in October in Forde (NOR). Moreover, interesting presentations were delivered by SBD, IWF Official Partner and Supplier, Eleiko, IWF Official Supplier and ZKC, IWF Official Supplier. In recognition of the Saudi authorities’ continuous support to weightlifting, the IWF awarded its Gold Collar to HH Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, Sports Minister and President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee and to HH Prince Fahad bin Jalawi Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud. José Quiñones and Antonio Urso receiving their Hall of Fame Certificate Finally, for their long, valuable and tireless services within the IWF and the weightlifting family in general, Antonio Urso and José Quiñones, President of the Pan-American Weightlifting Federation, were inducted into the Weightlifting Hall of Fame. IWF

Four lifters integrate the 2024 IWF Refugee Team

The IWF is happy to announce its Refugee Team for the year 2024, comprised of four athletes: Parisa Jahanfekrian (originally from Iran, but residing in Germany), Aline de Souza and Monique Araujo (both from Brazil, but presently based in the USA), and Addriel Garcia (Cuba/Italy). These lifters were already part of the first-ever programme in 2023, and will therefore have additional opportunities during the upcoming months to compete at the IWF events. Applicants for the team could apply until January 31, 2024. Besides these athletes, directly selected by the IWF, all lifters that are part of the IOC Refugee Team will also join the group. In 2024, the selected coach to manage the team in Aveenash Pandoo, former IWF Coaching and Research Committee Member, currently working as Head Coach in Abu Dhabi Weightlifting Club. The team is completed by Hussein Elsettawi, a physiotherapist. Monique Araujo (BRA) In accordance with the eligibility rules for the IWF Refugee Team (the 2024 Policy can be consulted here), athletes must be officially recognised as refugees in their country, in accordance with the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and may be entered in IWF events. Asylum seekers are not accepted in the programme and all lifters are required to have a travel document and must comply with article 5.5.16 of the IWF Anti-Doping Rules, by which whereabouts information of the athletes shall be submitted at minimum three months prior to the event. Finally, all athletes and support personnel must complete the WADA ADEL online course before competing and present their certificate to the IWF/ITA. In accordance with article 17.2.2 of the IWF Anti-Doping Rules, the IWF may also decide to request that athletes complete education activities before and/or during their participation in selected events as a condition of such participation. The 2024 IWF Refugee Team programme will be effective until the conclusion of the IWF World Championships, next December in Manama (BRN). While these athletes are not part of the Olympic Qualification system (with the exception of the lifters included in the IOC scholarship holders’ list), they will be able to attend IWF competitions throughout the year and will be invited to take part in at least one training camp during the year. “After a very successful launch of the IWF Refugee Team in 2023, we are pleased to proceed with the programme. This is once in a lifetime opportunity for these lifters, and I will personally never forget the satisfaction of the two Brazilian lifters who were able to compete at last year’s IWF World Championships in Riyadh. These athletes have experienced quite challenging situations during their existence, but their passion for the sport remained unchanged,” considered the IWF President Mohammed Jalood. “I wish all the lifters included in this group the best luck and I look forward to seeing them performing at the highest level in our competitions,” concluded Mr Jalood. IWF

Achilleas Tsogas appointed as new IWF CEO

The IWF is happy to announce the hiring of Achilleas Tsogas, as CEO of our International Federation, taking his functions from March 1, 2024 at the headquarters in Lausanne (SUI). With an extensive and solid experience in Sports Management, Mr Achilleas was previously working at the International Olympic Committee for more than eight years, firstly in the Olympic Games department, in the Youth Olympic Games unit and successfully delivered three Youth Olympic Games before transitioning to the sports department. Within the summer sports team, Achilleas was responsible for the combat sports, as well as for weightlifting, and the key contact person for all elements related to the Olympic Movement for the relevant International Federations. Before his IOC involvement, the new IWF CEO held several managerial roles in the organising committees of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, but also in other international, renowned events around the globe, namely the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, Mediterranean Games, Arab Games and European Games. Originally a judo athlete and member of the Greek national team, he relocated to Australia and became a member of the Sport department of the organising committee of the Olympic Games Sydney 2000. Following that, he became the sport’s competition manager at the Olympic Games Athens 2004, having being also successfully involved in the Judo World Championships in 2001, 2003 and 2005, as an additional member of the IJF Sport commission. Mr Achilleas is of Hellenic nationality and is fluent in his Greek and English, while having an intermediate level in French and Japanese. In his native Greece, he was also the man behind the creation and management of several sport clubs around the country. Education-wise, his bachelor degree in Physical Education and Sports Science, obtained in Athens, was complemented by a Masters in Sport Management at the University of Technology, Graduate School of Business, in Sydney (AUS). “We are extremely satisfied with the appointment of Mr Tsogas as our new CEO, as we believe his confirmed experience will be an added-value for the International Weightlifting Federation. In his previous functions at the IOC, he could witness the progress we have made in many essential areas; I am sure he will be pivotal for the reinforcement of our sustained and continuous development,” considered the IWF President Mohammed Jalood. “It is a great pleasure and honour for me to embark on this new exciting journey with the IWF/Weightlifting Family. I have been privileged to undertake diverse sports event positions around the world in which I was able to successfully co-operate with various organisations and groups of people coming from different cultural and sporting backgrounds and look forward to bringing all the experience to the best use in my new role.. I would like to thank President Jalood and the entire Executive Board for the confidence and trust and to ensure them that I will use at the best my experience to drive the IWF to new heights as a global sport and continue to strengthen the position of Weightlifting within the Olympic Movement,” said the new IWF CEO. IWF