News

IWF President Mohammed Jalood receives Honorary Doctorate in Rome

The IWF President Mohammed Jalood has been awarded the Doctorate Honoris Causa in Sport Governance and International Relations by the prestigious ACS-ASOMI College of Science during a ceremony held this week at the CONI Hall of Honor in Rome (ITA). President Jalood was among a distinguished group of international sports leaders honoured by the institution, alongside CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio, and IOC Members Giovanni Malagò and Ivo Ferriani. The ceremony celebrated outstanding contributions to international sport, governance, education, and the promotion of Olympic values. Dario Silvestri (Academy's President), Mohammed Jalood (IWF President) and Antonio Urso (former IWF General Secretary) The honorary degree was awarded in recognition of President Jalood's "constant commitment to the sport of Olympic weightlifting" and his leadership in advancing the global development of the sport. The ceremony was attended by leading figures from the Olympic Movement, international federations, academia, and the sports community. It also featured the participation of Professor Antonio Urso, former President of the Italian Weightlifting Federation (FIPE), former IWF General Secretary, and current Head of the Department of Sport and Exercise Science at ACS-ASOMI College of Science. "It is a great honour to receive this recognition, not only personally but on behalf of the entire global weightlifting family," said IWF President Mohammed Jalood. "I sincerely thank the ACS-ASOMI College of Science for this prestigious tribute, as well as the Italian Weightlifting Federation and CONI for their continued friendship and unwavering support of our sport. I would also like to express my deepest appreciation to Professor Antonio Urso, whose invaluable work and lifelong dedication to weightlifting - both in Italy and internationally, including his years of service as IWF General Secretary - have made a lasting contribution to our movement. This recognition is also a tribute to everyone who works every day to strengthen and promote weightlifting around the world." The event concluded with a session dedicated to Sport Diplomacy, highlighting the growing role of sport as a platform for international cooperation, dialogue between institutions, and cultural exchange, while reinforcing the connection between higher education and the global sporting community. IWF

Cali, Day 5: USA and Egypt take world titles, and Libya wins landmark medals

Addie Jones from the United States and Ali Abdelradi from Egypt were dominant champions on day five of the IWF World Youth Championships in Cali, Colombia. Their victories ended a run of four straight wins by European nations. Abdelradi, who holds all three youth world records at 79kg, did not make any attempts to better them in Cali but did not need to, finishing 13kg clear with a five-from-six 143-175-318. Addie Jones (USA) Jones was helped to 69kg victory on her World Championships debut by one of the biggest names in the sport in the United States. Mike Gattone, USA Weightlifting’s performance director and head coach, is there for all team members at international events – but with Jones he has a stronger presence because he is her personal coach at her home gym near Chicago. Two B Group lifters made the podium on total as Jones finished 12kg clear on 91-114-205, making all six lifts and claiming a sweep of national youth records. “Addie’s very committed, trains five times a week and I’m real proud of her,” said Gattone. He has been personal coach to other international medallists including Abby Raymond and Jackie Berube-Black - who is also part of the national coaching team and is in Cali - but Jones was his first athlete to win on the global stage since Tara Nott’s gold medal at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. “I wouldn’t say it makes any difference that I’m Addie’s personal coach when Addie is part of the team, because I give the same level of commitment and attention to everyone, but it’s a good feeling,” said Gattone. “I first went into coaching back in 1990. Of course there were people coaching at clubs and gyms but at that time there were only two full-time paid weightlifting coaches in the US, Dragomir Cioroslan at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs and me at a not-for-profit project in Peoria, Illinois, aimed at getting at-risk kids into the sport. It changed my life.” Jones, who was 17 last month and started lifting aged nine, said of Gattone, “He’s the best. I’m on a roll of going six-for-six in my past few competitions and I was expecting a medal here. Mike has done a lot of work with me for this, physical and mental, and it really helped.” Jones and Rhianne Cabalida (PHI) Hagar Roshdy from Egypt, who had the highest entry total and was expected to challenge for medals, was not fit to lift and withdrew. Ilenia Vella from Italy and Edith Rios from Mexico won medals from the A Group but not on total. Vella took silver in clean and jerk and finished fourth on 81-106-187, while Rios was third in snatch and sixth overall on 86-98-184. Rhianne Cabalida, 15, failed with her final two attempts in the B Group but was second in snatch, third in clean and jerk and second on total for the Philippines on 88-105-193. Beyonce Bolanos (ECU) Beyonce Bolanos was so surprised to win a medal that she was not there for the ceremony. Bolanos, from Ecuador, was fifth in snatch, fourth in clean and jerk and third on total from the B Group on 83-105-188. Abdelradi finished 13kg clear in the men’s event, making five from six for 143-175-318. It was a welcome and convincing victory for Egypt after disappointing earlier performances, two of which were marred by elbow injuries. Ali Abdelradi (EGY) There was a famous achievement for Libya when Abdulrauf Khalifa finished second. He made 137-168-305, moving up from fourth at halfway to become Libya’s first ever medallist at the World Youths. Libya had its first success at the World Juniors two years ago in Spain, when Mohammed Alzintani was third at 73kg, but has never won a senior World Championships medal. Men's 79kg category podium Khalifa’s father, Abdalla, won international medals around the turn of the century. Third place in a tight finish went to Yernur Myrzakhmet from Kazakhstan on 142-162-304. Arsenii Kurochkin from Russia was third in clean and jerk on 166kg and came desperately close to making the 174kg he needed for a medal on total. He could not lock out the lift and ended up seventh overall. Yigitham Eroglu from Turkiye took snatch bronze on 139kg and finished fourth when, like Kurochkin, he failed with his last two attempts.  By Brian Oliver Photos by Giorgio

Cali, Day 4: Photo Gallery

Photos by Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia [gallery size="large"

Cali, Day 4: Turkiye in top form yet again with gold and two silvers – and a winner for Georgia

Turkiye filled half of the six podium places on total in Cali, Colombia to continue its remarkable run of success on the world stage in youth weightlifting. Zehranur Aslan, a late starter in the sport, saw months of hard work pay off when she made her final attempt to take the 63kg title as the IWF World Youth Championships reached the halfway point. Aslan finished one kilo ahead of her team-mate Sudenaz Sevim, who had led in snatch. Zehranur Aslan (TUR) Toprak Koleoglu also won snatch gold in the men’s 71kg, and might have won on total if he had made either of his first two clean and jerks. He dropped both behind, but Koleoglu recovered impressively to avoid a bombout with his final attempt and finished second behind the Georgian Davit Kiladze. That took Turkiye’s record on total to one gold and four silvers in the first four days of competition in Cali. Since the sporting calendar returned to normality in 2021 after the Covid pandemic Turkiye has won eight golds, 13 silvers and nine bronzes on total at the World Youths, and has two more chances to add to that tally before the end of the week. Women's 63kg category podium In World Juniors, Turkiye has won six golds, nine silvers and four bronzes in the same time span. Among their teenage champions in recent years were Muhammad Furkan Ozbek and Yusuf Fehmi Genc, both of whom set senior world records last year. Aslan will be hoping to add her name to the list of Turkiye’s top performers. She took up weightlifting after a tryout session at her school five years ago. “It was a great stroke of luck for me, and I would encourage others to do it,” she said before travelling to Cali. Aslan made 86-112-198 and Sevim 87-110-197. Stefany Higuita from Colombia was third on 85-106-191, and fifth-placed Uladzislava Lavar from Belarus took clean and jerk bronze with 109kg. Davit Kiladze (GEO) Kiladze, 15, was an impressive winner for Georgia - and a fourth straight winner from Europe - making five good lifts before declining his final attempt. Like 16-year-old Koleoglu, it was his first appearance at an IWF event. Kiladze made 126-153-279 and Koleoglu 128-150-278. Colombia was third again. Kevin Segura made 123-150-273, taking advantage of narrow failures with his final two attempts by Panagiotis Spyrou. Men's 71kg category podium Spyrou, who will be 17 next week, was second at halfway and looks like a good prospect for Greece. He completed the lift both times on those final attempts but got red lights for bending and extending, then a pressout. A challenge failed after his final attempt and he finished 127-145-272. Spyrou’s grandfather Panagiotis and father Christos (his coach) were both elite athletes and national coaches, and he also has an uncle and a cousin in the sport. By Brian Oliver Photos by Giorgio

Cali, Day 3: Photo Gallery

Photos by Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia [gallery size="large"

Cali, Day 3: Plotnikov ends Russia’s long wait for a world champion – and world records for Moldova

The Russian national anthem was played at an IWF competition for the first time in five years after an exciting finish to the men’s 65kg at the IWF World Youth Championships in Cali, Colombia. On a good day for Europe, Nicoleta Cojocaru claimed two world records in winning the women’s 58kg by a wide margin. On Monday Evgenii Butuzov had been within one kilo of victory for Russia at 60kg. A day later, it looked like his 17-year-old team-mate Sergei Plotnikov might fall short too after David Linares from Venezuela made an 8kg jump with his final attempt. Sergei Plotnikov (RUS) That left Plotnikov 2kg behind with one attempt remaining. He made it to complete a perfect six-from-six 122-153-275 and become Russia’s first officially recognised world champion since October, 2021. For the first time since then, the competition speaker announced, “Please stand if you are able for the national anthem of Russia.” Plotnikov, and his fellow team members in the arena, clearly enjoyed the moment. Russia topped the medals table at the World Youths in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia with six winners in 2021. It has not had a junior world champion since May of that year and its last senior world title came in 2018. In the past five years, Russian athletes have been unable to compete internationally because of suspensions and neutrality rules.  During that time only one of the six winners in Jeddah, Zarina Gusalova, has competed again internationally, both times as an Individual Neutral Athlete. Meanwhile two other winners in Jeddah, Hampton Morris from the United States and Weeraphon Wichuma from Thailand, have had stellar careers and won medals at the Olympic Games.   The men's 65kg category podium The outright suspension ended in May, 2023 when athletes from Russia and Belarus were allowed to compete as Individual Neutral Athletes, wearing grey uniforms with no flag, no logos and no national anthems if they won. When the Russian Varvara Kuzminova won the youth world title at 76kg last year she did so as a neutral. After the restrictions were dropped for age-group athletes, Kuzminova finished third at this year’s World Juniors in Ismailia, Egypt, but Russia did not have any winners. The restrictions on seniors were removed by the IWF last month. Plotnikov had competed internationally once before today, finishing third as a neutral at last year’s European Youths. He improved that 2025 total by 11kg in Cali. The top three finishers missed only one lift between them. Linares failed at 150kg on his penultimate attempt and made 123-151-274. Bronze went to Giorgi Kinkladze from Georgia on 12-144-264. Sadek Mahmoud from Egypt, who had the highest entry total, injured himself on his final snatch attempt and withdrew at the interval, sitting in fourth place. Nicoleta Cojocaru (MDA) Egypt did better in the women’s event when Yasmine Mohamed was second in snatch and third on total behind Cojocaru, who finished 12kg clear of silver medallist Ilayda Etugrul from Turkiye. Mohamed had finished fifth, one kilo and one place ahead of Cojocaru at the World Juniors in Ismailia, Egypt in May. This time she failed with her final two clean and jerks and was 13kg behind the Moldovan. Cojocaru, 16, made five from six and improved her best total by 5kg on 88-114-202. She had set the youths’ snatch world record in Ismailia and would have bettered it but for failing on 92kg in Cali. Her final lift gave her a full set of world records. The women's 58kg category podium Etugrul made 85-105-190 and Mohamed 86-103-189. Emily Kuster from Brazil took clean and jerk bronze on 105. Another Russian went six-from-six in the B Group. Eleonora Gasieva showed potential for the future in making 80-100-180, finishing fifth on total. By Brian Oliver Photos by Giorgio