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Lima, Review: Many ‘firsts’ and new countries shining at the highest level in Peru

There were plenty of ‘firsts’ at the 2025 World Youth and Junior Championships, which ended in Lima, Peru this week. This was the first time two age group World Championships were staged at the same time, an impressive effort by the Peruvian hosts who opened up for first weigh-in before 07.00 and closed the doors after the final lift close to midnight on the busiest days. It was also the first time since 2016 that a World Juniors featured athletes from China, PRK and Russia, three of the strongest weightlifting nations. The 13 athletes from Russia competed as Individual Neutral Athletes, as did four from Belarus. Wei Tingna (CHN) China’s women excelled, yet again. The winners at 64kg and 55kg, Yang Liuyue and Wei Tingna, were the top two Junior performers on Sinclair points, and Wei Tingna was the best Youth points scorer when she won at 71kg. PRK’s Kim Jong Yu was another outstanding performer in winning the women’s Junior 81kg title. Russia arguably had cause to be at least as happy with its results as China and PRK. Ten of the 13 Russian neutrals were youths, and only one of them failed to win at least one medal. Two of the three juniors also won medals. All six of the Russian youth women were aged 15 or 16 and one of them, Varvara Kuzminova, looks sure to be a high achiever in the future. Kuzminova was second in the Juniors as well as winning the Youth title at 76kg, setting snatch and total world records in making 108-127-235. Varvara Kuzminova (AIN) “My congratulations to the athletes and coaches of the team on their excellent performance,” said Dmitry Vasilenko, president of the Russian Weightlifting Federation, who was happy to have his athletes back on the international stage for the first time since 2021. “I would like to thank the IWF leadership, and personally President Jalood, for their assistance in returning our athletes to the international arena. Special praise goes to the organisers of the competition, who warmly welcomed us and created a favourable atmosphere throughout our stay in Lima.” The next international outing for the young Russians will be the European Youth Championships in Madrid in July, when Kuzminova will be one of the top attractions. Charlotte Simoneau (CAN) Among other ‘firsts’ was the sight of athletes from Canada and New Zealand both standing on the podium above an athlete from China. It happened in the Junior women’s 71kg, won for the second time by Charlotte Simoneau from Canada, who continues to improve. Olivia Selemaia was second, the outstanding result of a highly successful week for New Zealand. There was a first female world champion for Brazil on day one, when Isanelly da Silva won the Youth 40kg title – and a first male champion four days later when Mattheus Pessanha won at 102kg in the Juniors. Pessanha’s total of 395kg earned more Sinclair points, 450, than any other athlete at the Championships. Matheus Pessanha (BRA) Albania and Fiji also had their first world champions, both Youths, when Enkileda Carja won the women’s 64kg from the B Group and Nehemiah Elder won at 89kg, scoring more than 400 Sinclair points a few weeks after his 16th birthday. With Fiji, New Zealand, Samoa and Nauru all on the podium, it was a successful Championships for Oceania. The Philippines, Venezuela, Moldova, Egypt and Iran were other teams with cause to celebrate, with plenty of medals as well as athletes at or near the top of the individual rankings.   Nehemiah Elder (FIJ) The Junior champions Albert Delos Santos at 67kg and Alireza Nasiri from Iran at 109kg both declared their intent to lift at the 2028 Olympic Games after impressive performances. Danu Secrieru from Moldova was near the top of the rankings after winning the Youths 55kg, a few weeks after he finished second in the European seniors in Chisinau, his home capital city. Moldova won many medals in both Chisinau and Lima. Danu Secrieru (MDA) Tomari Kotaro from Japan set world records in winning the Junior men’s 55kg. Egypt had the top men’s Sinclair scorer in the Youths, 73kg champion Hussein Abdelrahman. The best athlete who did not win was arguably Angel Rodriguez from Venezuela, who weighed in nearly 5kg light in the Junior 89kg and was beaten by 1kg on a total of 359kg. By Brian Oliver Photos by Giorgio

Update on IWF Bodyweight Categories

The IWF sent on May 7, 2025 the following communication to all its Member Federations: Following the recent decision of the IOC to include five (5) Women's and five (5) Men's Bodyweight Categories for the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028, the Men's 98kg BW Category has been adjusted to 94kg. This change is intended to prevent significant gaps between the (soon to be selected) five (5) Olympic Men's Bodyweight Categories. With this adjustment, the five (5) categories will be more evenly distributed, ensuring a fairer and safer qualification for all athletes for LA28. Please note that the proposal has been endorsed by the IWF Executive Board, IWF Technical Committee and the IWF Athletes' Commission. The Women's Bodyweight categories remain as previously announced. Based on the above, the IWF bodyweight categories are as follows: SENIOR / JUNIOR WOMEN (8) / 48kg, 53kg, 58kg, 63kg, 69kg, 77kg, 86kg, +86kg MEN (8) / 60kg, 65kg, 71kg, 79kg, 88kg, 94kg, 110kg, +110kg YOUTH WOMEN (8) / 44kg, 48kg, 53kg, 58kg, 63kg, 69kg, 77kg, +77kg MEN (8) / 56kg, 60kg, 65kg, 71kg, 79kg, 88kg, 94kg, +94kg The new bodyweight categories will enter into force on June 1, 2025.

IWF120y/86 – 2024: History in the making for Karlos Nasar (BUL)

It is not frequent to report on a 20-year-old athlete, still active and necessarily at the beginning of his career, in a series of historical milestones of an international federation. Karlos Nasar, from Bulgaria, has 1/6 of the IWF age, but the indicators and results so far indicate that we are writing about a lifter who will surely be part of the history books. Issued from a nation with a great tradition in weightlifting, Nasar is a prodigy in our Sport, having already won one Olympic, two world, and three European titles. In Paris, at last year’s Olympics, the Bulgarian ace was clearly above the rest of the field in the men’s 89kg! On his way to a 14kg-difference comfortable victory, he lifted 180kg in the Snatch, 224kg in the Clean & Jerk (a new World Record), and 404kg in Total (also a new best global mark). His performance was only 2kg lower than the winner in the 102kg… Besides the Olympic gold medal, he was also the champion in the 2021 and 2024 editions of the IWF World Championships, and climbed on another three occasions to the highest march of the podium at the European level (2023, 2024, and 2025). His major career hiccup until now is the performance at the 2022 Worlds, where he bombed out in the Snatch, but still found enough motivation to set a new WR in the C&J (220kg). Born in Paris in May 2004 to a Bulgarian mother and Lebanese father, Nasar is the current holder of 15 World Records (five in each of the age groups – senior, junior, and youth).

IWF120y/85 – 1952: John Davis (USA) completes a 14-year winning streak with second Olympic gold

He was one of the weightlifting heroes in the years following World War II: US legend John Davis. Born in January 1921 in Brooklyn (New York), he was only 17 when he won in 1938 his first world title in Vienna (AUT). Statistically, he remained unbeaten until 1952, but his career had to be halted during the world conflict, when he served in the US Army between 1941-1945, being mobilised on the Pacific front. If the Olympics and World Championships had not been cancelled during the period 1939-1945, his roll of honour would have been even more impressive. Despite the adverse circumstances, Davis kept his good shape and strong motivation to win, and appeared stronger than ever at the 1946 Worlds, where he was again the best. He repeated the achievement in 1947 and arrived in London for his first Olympic appearance. In the +82.5kg, his performances went unmatched, as he clinched the gold in 137.5-137.5-177.5-452.5. In subsequent years, he got three more victories at the IWF showcase, in 1949, 1950 and 1951. Arrived at the 1952 Games in Helsinki as the favourite to triumph in the +90kg category, he confirmed his supremacy, winning in 150-145-165-460, a new Olympic record. After two Olympic and six World Championships gold medals, Davis entered the 1953 global showcase in Stockholm, but due to a thigh injury he had to be content with silver. It was the end of a 14-year winning streak that consecrated Davis as one of the greatest lifters in history. After establishing 16 World Records (two in Press, seven in Snatch, four in Clean & Jerk, and three in Total) throughout this impressive career, he definitively left the platforms in 1956, after suffering a serious leg injury at the Olympic Trials for the Melbourne Games. John Davis died in July 1984, aged 63.

Lima, Day 6: Iran’s big four dominate heavyweights with two 1-2 finishes on final day in Peru

Iran had a 1-2 finish in both the heaviest men’s events on the final day of the 2025 World Youth and Junior Championships in Lima, Peru. The women’s winners on an all-juniors programme were from Turkmenistan and Turkiye. Iran’s big four weighed in at 509kg and lifted a combined total of 1,556kg.   At 109kg Alireza Nasiri has been making 230kg clean and jerks in training – enough for the junior world record – but he declined his final attempt after five good lifts and finished 30kg clear on 180-220-400. Farhad Gholizadeh, who won the Asian youth title on his last international appearance two years ago, made 165-205-370 in second place. “I was tired and because it was one lift straight after the other I didn’t feel ready for the world record today – but I know I can do it,” Nasiri said. Alireza Nasiri (IRI) He lifted at 102kg last year, when he was second in the Asian Juniors to the junior world record holder Shahzadbek Matyakubov on 171-218-389. “I felt better at 102 but I wanted to come up in weight because I want to be going for gold at the Los Angeles Olympics,” said Nasiri. “The category will be 110 there. I am 19 and I can improve a lot in three years.” The +109kg super-heavyweights Hamidreza Mohammaditanha and Taha Nemati made lower totals than Nasiri and have very little chance of making it to the Olympics in 2028. Iran’s leading super-heavyweight, 21-year-old Alireza Yousefi, is training again after knee surgery three months ago and is hoping to lift at the World Championships in Norway in October. Then there is Ayat Sharifi, 24, who is entered for the Asian Championships in China starting this week. Their best totals are way higher than today’s medallists. Mohammaditanha made 181-213-394 and Nemati 180-212-392. They tried to make big jumps in clean and jerk and both failed with two of their attempts. Hamidreza Mohammaditanha (IRI) Georgii Myand from Russia, competing as a neutral, made 175-207-382 in third place. His only failure was a final clean and jerk attempt at 214kg, which left Marek Gugala third in that discipline on 208kg. Andrii Borovskyi from Ukraine held on to third place at 109kg on 165-201-366 when Marcin Ziolkowski from Poland failed with his final clean and jerk attempt at 207kg. Yemialyan Maskaleu from Belarus, competing as a neutral, bombed out in clean and jerk after finishing second in snatch on 169kg. Kudratbek Salimjonov from Uzbekistan, who dropped to sixth on total, was third in snatch on 167kg. Women Junior 87 After three near misses in second place during the Championships, Turkmenistan had a winner when Anamjan Rustamova put in an impressive performance in clean and jerk. She was the only athlete in the top eight to make all three attempts after the interval. Anamjan Rustamova (TKM) The Asian junior champion Rustamova, who will be 19 on Thursday, made 108-141-249, a bigger total than the super-heavyweight winner. She was sixth in snatch after one failure but was 5kg clear at the end. Vanessa Lizarraga from Mexico made 109-135-244 in second place and Mariia Gruzdova from Russia, competing as a neutral, was third on 108-134-242. Rahma Ahmed from Egypt declined her final attempt after suffering an injury in clean and jerk. She won snatch gold on 110kg, and Zhao Ziyu from China took snatch bronze on 109kg before finishing fourth on 241kg. Fatmagul Cevik (TUR) Women Junior +87 Fatmagul Cevik from Turkey won the title when she was the only one of the top three to make her final attempt in a tense finish. Cevik made 110-135-245 ahead of Yairan Tysforod from Colombia on 111-131-242. Lee Haeun from Korea made a 7kg jump on her penultimate lift to take clean and jerk gold and move into third place, but she failed with the last one and finished 106-135-241. Hanna Kalashnyk from Ukraine, who was fourth, won silver in clean and jerk on 135kg. By Brian Oliver Photos by Giorgio

IWF120y/84 – 2008: Chen Yanqing (CHN) – fighting against all odds

This is the successful story of a lifter who could have remained in the most strict anonymity but ended up being the first Chinese female athlete in our Sport to win two (consecutive) Olympic gold medals. Born in 1979 in a remote part of China – in a tiny farming village called Xishan, on an island near Suzhou, two hours away from Shanghai – the modest conditions of the family didn’t allow Chen Yanqing to have big dreams concerning her future. She had however one quality: she was physically strong! At 10, she is spotted by a local coach and is sent to a state athletic school to continue her education and training. Significant international results appear some years later – gold at the 1997 and 1999 IWF World Championships (photo), and also a victory at the 1998 Asian Games. Despite these achievements, she is not called to the Chinese national team competing at the Sydney 2000 Olympics – where, for the first time, women were admitted to the event. This decision was painful for Chen, who decided to retire and dedicate some years to her education, a Business Management degree in Suzhou. Things could have ended here concerning her weightlifting story, but the Chinese ace still wanted to prove she could shine at the Olympic level. She qualifies for the 2004 rendezvous in Athens and gets her first gold in the 58kg category, in 107.5-130-237.5. Four years later, on home soil, she does even better, revalidating in Beijing her title in 106-138-244 – this was an impressive outcome in this category, as she lifted 18kg more than the silver medallist! After Chen’s feats, only two other Chinese female lifters have earned so far two Olympic gold medals: Li Wenwen and Hou Zhihui, both in Tokyo 2020ne and Paris