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The latest issue of WORLD WEIGHTLIFTING is out

[video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="https://www.iwf.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/IWF_146_promo_002.mp4"][/video] No.146 of WORLD WEIGHTLIFTING includes 2018 IWF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS – ASHGABAT, 2018 YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES - BUENOS AIRES and an exclusive interview with DÁNIEL GYURTA, Member of the IOC Athletes’ Commission. Check out the English version here! Follow us on social media: Facebook Instagram Twitter

IWF Development Program 2019

IWF continues supporting the National and Regional Federations in the framework of the IWF Development Program. The IWF Member Federations have the possibility to improve their organisational, coaching, training, educational and anti-doping activities or apply for weightlifting equipment. The documents for 2019 are already available here. The deadline to submit the applications to [email protected] is 17th February 2019. IWF wishes good luck. Follow us on social media: Facebook Instagram Twitter

IWF Discloses Four Adverse Analytical Findings

The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) today disclosed four Adverse Analytical Findings (AAFs), recorded by Thai weightlifters at the 2018 World Weightlifting Championships. This follows two previous disclosures concerning AAFs for Thai athletes on 23 December 2018.  Despite testing about 52% of all participating athletes at the 2018 IWF World Championships, no AAFs were initially recorded. But further analysis in collaboration with the IWF’s Athlete Passport Management Unit, the Cologne anti-doping laboratory, saw further analysis carried out on target athletes’ samples using the most sophisticated available technique: Gas Chromatography-Combustion-Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS). As a result, four additional AAFs by Thai weightlifters were revealed. The Thai Amateur Weightlifting Association informed the IWF that it has launched a thorough and strict internal investigation regarding the AAFs. IWF is pleased to note that TAWA co-operates with the IWF to reveal the cause of Adverse Analytical Findings.  By the IWF’s actions in recent years, the IWF has repeatedly demonstrated its willingness to make the most difficult decisions in favour of protecting clean athletes and promoting clean sport. The IWF remains committed to implement the most advanced testing techniques to ensure that the very small minority who cheat are identified and sanctioned. With the IWF’s anti-doping efforts before, during and after the 2018 IWF World Weightlifting Championships, this was proven once again. With the support of IWF’s partners, the IWF will continue to send out a very clear message that there is no place for doping in weightlifting. To ensure an independent decision-making process, all available data has already been provided to the Independent Member Federation Sanctioning Panel for discussion and decision at their sole discretion, according to IWF Anti-Doping Policy Article 12. The IWF previously suspended nine Member Federation, accompanied their suspension with education and rehabilitation, in order to change cultures in high-risk countries. While it is regrettable that such support should be needed for a Member Federation, the IWF will not hesitate to provide it if necessary. The IWF is also committed to widespread activities aimed at instilling a culture of clean sport, notably through its #iLiftCLEAN education initiative. Created and promoted in conjunction with the World Anti-Doping Agency, the IWF has an innovative outreach programme. For value-based Anti-Doping education targeting Athletes is considered by the IWF as a key element to the effective fight against doping. For this reason, at the last World Championships in Ashgabat the IWF introduced an Online Anti-Doping E-learning Platform. All Athletes who wish to compete in the IWF’s flagship competitions will need to have successfully completed the iLiftCLEAN E-learning

‘Sports before courts’ – Commonwealth Games champ David Liti hoping to inspire other Pacific athletes

Commonwealth Games weightlifting champion David Liti is hoping that his story can serve as an inspiration to others like him, having risen from a child in Tonga to a competitor at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.     Discovered by coach Tina Ball while playing rugby, Liti quickly took to weightlifting like a duck to water, culminating in his gold medal victory in the +105kg class on the Gold Coast last year, setting a record with a final lift of 403kg in the process. The 22-year-old opened up about his journey from humble beginnings to role model and gold medal winner. "I was raised up in Tonga, we didn't really get much opportunities to do what we wanted to do," Liti began. "I'm so blessed and thankful for my parents for bringing me over here." Kiwi weightlifting Commonwealth champion David Liti breaks 16-year national record:   Liti lifted a record 176kg Snatch to surpass former record holder Nigel Avery. While Liti has achieved success as a weightlifter - with more possibly on the way in Tokyo next year - the Gold Coast champion says that it was never even a thought that he could achieve such feats. "Ever since I came to New Zealand, my goal was to be a policeman. I just thought policemen were cool, all this world would be so much better with better policemen, everybody would be policemen. "Time goes on, and you realise there's rugby. You try out rugby, you try out soccer and all these other sports, and I think weightlifting. It'll be the biggest change in my life, unexpected, it just happened all of a sudden. Somehow I'm here. "There's a saying I always keep in mind. It's 'sports before courts'. I think I would be one of those spending a lot of time in court, instead of out of trouble. I'm glad that I'm here taking the right path, going into sports." Liti finished by stating that he's one day hoping to use the success and profile that weightlifting's given him to provide a pathway for other Polynesian athletes in a similar situation to himself. "I want to build an institute, to help more of the Pacific Islanders, to help them realise they can do more in sports than they think they can," he said. "A lot of my goals in the future [are] towards building the institute, helping others, helping them achieve their fullest potential." Source: tvnz.co.nz Follow us on social media: Facebook Instagram Twitter

British Weight Lifting Announces Four Board Members

British Weight Lifting is pleased to announce the appointment of four new Non-Executive Directors, who take up their positions with immediate effect.  Following a highly successful recent recruitment campaign Jane Fenwick, Rupinder Ashworth,  Neil Wood and Matthew Curtain have been appointed to the British Weight Lifting Board. Matthew Curtain is well-renowned both Internationally and within the UK and joins with a wealth of weightlifting and sporting experience. He is currently the Sport Director of FITEQ, a new International Federation responsible for the sport of Teqball, Chair of the Netball World Cup 2023 Bid Evaluation Committee and a member of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) Sport Programme Commission.  Prior to this, he served the Commonwealth Games Federation as their first-ever Director of Sport and International Federation Relations from 2014 to 2018, primarily responsible for designing the sports programme for the Commonwealth Games editions of 2022 to 2030 and in regard to Gold Coast 2018 he was responsible for developing and delivering the innovative and inaugural athlete quota framework, qualification systems and medal-event gender equity strategy that was applied for the first time.   The federation also announced that two existing Non-Execs, Guy Taylor and David Knaggs, have agreed to serve another four-year term on the Board; providing continuity to the team. BWL is currently initiating the process to find a new Independent Chair to be in post from 31 March 2019 onwards Source: britishweightlifting.org   Follow us on social media: Facebook Instagram Twitter

Swedish Weightlifting Federation – Children and Youth Investment

In the framework of the 2018 IWF Development Program, The SWF organised three seminars, with the aim to provide increased knowledge and quality assurance on how to train children for youth coaches. The first seminar in Bosön was lectured by Mr Marius Sommer, a professional in sports psychology and lecturer at the Umeå University. Mr Sommer talked about the importance of the support of coaches in motivation children, and how their involvement can support young athletes. How do you motivate athletes to continue sports regardless of goals, ambitions and opportunities? The coaches had to reflect on how they, as leaders can influence and support their improvement in the best possible way. Ms Fanny Höglund was the first presenter at the second seminar on the same location. Among other topics, she talked about alternative exercise types to develop a basic physical ability for children, in a playful and instructive way, that is beneficial for weightlifting. On the second day, Mr Magnus Kilger explained his research about the concept of talent. The interest in identifying, selecting and developing young talent in sports seems to be endless. At the same time, certain talents are chosen for special ventures. The sports movement will enable every child to participate in sports. Mr Kilger talked about how the non-profit sports movements and sports associations in Sweden have a responsibility from a health perspective in the society, and training athletes for international success. The final seminar was in Jönköping at Scania Elmia and was dedicated to important topics such as talent and developing sports environments. The discussion also touched the subject of safe sports environments to work proactively against sexual abuse, harassment and violence. The lecture concerned questions like; How do we create an environment where we both create stars and interest in lifelong sports? What participation does coaches and leaders in creating a favourable training environment for children and adolescents? Swedish Federation expressed its gratitude to IWF for the opportunity to host these seminars.       Follow us on social media: Facebook Instagram Twitter