News

IWF120y/7 – 2014 & 2025: IWF gets a new visual identity

In order to modernise its image and gain a renovated dynamism, the present IWF characteristic logo is created in 2014. With its distinctive intricated plates and the acronym (IWF) or full name (International Weightlifting Federation) next to them, the new visual identity is primarily the first ‘image’ perceived by both the external world and the weightlifting family when an IWF event is held, a correspondence is sent, or our website homepage is displayed. According to our official branding guidelines, the logo can be shown in six different colours, but over the years the cyan and magenta versions have been privileged. The logo's simplicity has now helped to ‘reshape’ it for the first time since its creation – in this special year, celebrating IWF’s 120th anniversary. We are therefore delighted to present you with this commemorative version. The official logo can be easily recognised on the right side (plates and acronym), but the mention ‘120’ (years) was added and the information ‘Founded 1905’ is also mentioned. During 2025, this logo will be seen on many of the IWF channels and platforms, providing additional visibility to the celebrations of our International Federation’s 120

IWF120y/6 – 1910: First ‘scientific’ barbells in the market

Weightlifting is intrinsically connected with one basic sports equipment: the barbell. If today, the most modern technologies are applied to the production of the bars, plates, and collars, the initial steps of this industry were given at the beginning of the 20th century. Before that, solid globe-ended barbells or bars with hollow spheres filled with sand (to adjust the weight) were the norm. In 1902, in Philadelphia (USA), Alan Calvert founded the Milo Barbell Company, where the idea of adjustable plates of different weights was first introduced. But the world had to wait until 1910 for the first elaborated patented barbells from the German company Kasper Berg. Founded in 1860 as an iron foundry (and still active nowadays), Berg introduces discs of 20, 15, 10, 5, 2.5, and 1.5 kg that could be easily adjusted to the bar. The foundation of modern barbell production had started and the excellence of the company was rewarded with the presence at the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam as the official weightlifting supplier! Today, the IWF rules stipulate the following plates (and respective colours) for our events: 25kg (red), 20kg (blue), 15kg (yellow), 10kg (green), 5kg (white), 2.5kg (red), 2kg (blue), 1.5kg (yellow), 1kg (green) and 0.5kg (white). Photo credit: Kasper Berg

IWF120y/5 – 2023: Creation of the IWF Refugee Team

At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro (BRA), an important novelty occurred: the International Olympic Committee (IOC) introduced the first-ever Refugee Olympic Team. Consisting of 10 athletes, this important symbolic step was aimed at raising global awareness of the growing number of refugees worldwide. In Tokyo 2020ne the Team comprised 29 athletes (including one lifter – Cyrille Tchatchet) and before the Paris Olympics, the IWF decided to create, in 2023, its own Refugee Team. It consisted of seven athletes: four women - Parisa Jahanfekrian, originally from Iran, but residing in Germany, Clementine Meukeugni Noumbissi (Cameroon/Great Britain), Aline de Souza (Brazil/USA), Monique Lima de Araujo (Brazil/USA) -, and three men - Addriel Garcia (Cuba/Italy), Fawaz Mohammed Saleh Hussein (Yemen/Saudi Arabia), and Reza Rouhi (Iran/Great Britain). At the 2023 IWF World Championships in Riyadh (KSA), Aline de Souza became officially the first IWF Refugee Athlete in action, in the women’s 55kg category. In 2024, the project continued with four IWF lifters, plus two athletes included in the IOC Refugee Team Scholarship programme. Those two lifters – Ramiro Mora and Yekta Jamali – were selected for the 37-member team that constituted the Refugee Olympic Team competing in Paris. At the IWF level, Jamali (photo) was the first refugee lifter to get a medal, earning bronze at the 2024 IWF World Junior Championships, in the women’s 81kg. To provide more stability to the programme, the next IWF Refugee Team will be in place for the period

IWF120y/4 – 1975: Junior lifters compete at the highest level

Marseille, in France, had the honour to host in 1975 the first edition of the IWF World Junior Championships, from then a competition where many of the brightest stars of weightlifting could already shine at a younger age (Lasha Talakhadze was junior world champion in 2013, before build-up a career that includes now three Olympic gold medals). Since that inaugural event 50 years ago, 31 nations in the five continents have staged the competition: after Europe, the Americas held its first Championships in Montreal (CAN) in 1980, Africa in 1983 in Cairo (EGY), Asia in 1994 in Jakarta (INA) and Oceania in 2019 in Suva (FIJ). On that premiere in France, nine events (only men at the time) were held and the titles went to Bulgaria (4), the Soviet Union (3), and Poland (2). The Polish capital, Warsaw, hosted the competition in 1995, which was for the first time open to women. The 50th edition of the Championships will be held between April 30 and May 5 in Lima (PER) and will also constitute an important milestone: it will be the first-ever joint Junior (lifters aged 15-20) and Youth (13-17 years old) World Championships in the IWF history!

IWF120y/3 – 1928: Egypt initiates successful tradition

The Egyptian Weightlifting Federation was the first African national body to be affiliated with the IWF in 1930, a time when its lifters were already shining in the international scene. Two years before, at the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam, El-Sayed Nosseir wins the first-ever gold (all sports included) for his nation, in the men’s light heavyweight category. It was the beginning of a successful story for the Land of the Pharaohs. Throughout the Olympic history, Egypt has earned 41 medals, with weightlifting being the most prolific sport, with 15 podium presences, including five titles (out of the overall nine). After Nosseir’s feats, Anwar Mesbah and Khadr El-Touni (both Olympic champions in 1936), but also Mahmoud Fayad and Ibrahim Shams (gold in 1948 for both) shone in the Games. More recently, Egyptian female lifters are also making the headlines at the highest level: Abeer Abdelrahman and Sara Samir (photo), who have a silver and a bronze medal each. Abdelrahman was second in London 2012 and third in Beijing 2008, while Samir was the runner-up in Paris 2024 and bronze medallist in Rio 2016. At the IWF World Championships level, Egypt is by far the most successful African nation, with a total of 42 (only Total) and 74 (Snatch, Clean & Jerk, Press, and Total)

IWF120y/2 – 1988-1996: Naim Suleymanoglu becomes a legend

Despite his short height (1.47m), Naim Suleymanoglu is considered one of the greatest weightlifters in history, after being the first to earn three gold medals at the Olympic Games. Initially representing Bulgaria (he was born in January 1967 in Ptichar to Turkish parents), he decides in 1986 (due to ethnic tensions) to flee his country and move to Turkiye, where he received support from the local authorities. Under the Turkish flag, Suleymanoglu successfully competed in the 1988 Games in Seoul, getting the gold and three new World Records on the way (Snatch – 152.5kg, Clean & Jerk – 190kg, and Total – 342.5kg). These performances would remain his best results until the end of his career, but in 1992 in Barcelona, and 1996 in Atlanta he earns Olympic gold on both occasions, respectively in the 60kg and 64kg men’s category – a legend was born! To this incredible feat, the “Pocket Hercules” (nickname by which he was known) also added seven IWF World Championships titles and 46 WR to his roll of honour! Suleymanoglu died in November 2017, at only 50.