News

PAWF Executive Board meeting and Congress

The Pan-American Weightlifting Federation (PAWF) held its Executive Board meeting and Ordinary Congress prior to the kick off of the 2018 Pan-American Championships in Santo Domingo, DOM. Willian Ozuna, PAWF President dedicated the PAWF Congress to the memory of General Secretary Lic. Rafael Pacho Gonzalez who recently passed away. Dominican Republic NOC President Luis MEJIA OVIEDO attended the Opening of the Championships. Attila Adamfi, IWF Director General delivered a presentation with details on the Qualification System for Tokyo 2020 and an Update Report including general guidance on Social Media. To be up to date with the activities of the  PAWF, follow them on Federación Panamericana de Levantamiento de Pesas. Check follow the competition on the LIVE

IWF Technical Visit in Tashkent

The Uzbekistan Weightlifting Federation, under the supervision of Mr. Shakrillo Makhmudov, UWF Vice President and IWF Executive Board Member welcomed the IWF delegation in the capital city of Uzbekistan. Matyas Lencser, IWF Competition Manager and Angelique Mottet, IWF Operations Manager paid a 2-day IWF technical visit to Tashkent, host of the 2018 IWF Junior World Championships. The group inspected the Uzbekistan Sport Complex where competitions and training will be held and visited the dedicated JWC team hotels (Hotel Uzbekistan, Hotel Golden Valley) as well as the Meetings and Congress premises at the International Hotel Tashkent. Participants further discussed the final conditions and requirements to deliver a great event. The IWF is happy to return to Tashkent after the great success of past

Who will be dominant in Santo Domingo?

Big-name champions will be among more than 260 of the strongest athletes from across North, Central and South America at the 2018 Senior Pan-American Championships next week. Starting on Monday in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, talents representing a total of 26 countries will fight it out for a place on the podium and the chance to book their qualification ticket for the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. Oscar Figueroa, Arley Méndez, Leidy Solís and Sarah Robles are just some of the world-beating lifters who will be on show. Colombian comeback Figueroa announced his retirement immediately after becoming Colombia’s first men’s weightlifting Olympic champion at the Rio 2016 Games. However, to the delight of his army of fans in his homeland, he is now stepping up preparations to defend his Olympic title in Tokyo in two years’ time and will compete in Santo Domingo in the 69kg bodyweight category. Also, in the men’s, Méndez will aim for top spot again after securing Chile’s first ever medal at the 2017 IWF World Championships in Anaheim, USA by sweeping the board in the men’s 85kg category with clear victories in the snatch and clean and jerk.   However, he will be challenged by 17-year-old American Harrison Maurus, who is moving up a bodyweight category after ending a 20-year medal drought for the USA with a bronze in the 77kg category at the World Championships.   Brazilian star Fernando Reis, who finished fifth at the Rio Games and sixth at the World Championships, will be among the favourites in the +105kg category, while the outstanding Jorge Arroyo of Ecuador and the USA’s Wesley Kitts, who has a personality as big as his lifts, will be gunning for gold as they compete at 105kg. The 94kg bodyweight category, meanwhile, will be one of the most competitive, with the likes of Nathan Damron, Wilmer Contreras and Paul Ferrin, Victor Quiñones, Serafim Veli and Jason Bonnick just some of the names in the running for medals.     Champion performers No fewer than seven medal-winners from the World Championships will be participating in the women’s competition, including two world champions – Leidy Solís and Sarah Robles. Solís topped the 69kg bodyweight category in Anaheim, becoming the first athlete from Latin America to stand on the podium in this category in the history of the event. Robles, who will compete in the +90kg in Santo Domingo, won USA’s first gold medal at the World Championships since 1994 by breezing to victory in the snatch, clean and jerk and total score in the same category. Ana Iris Segura of Colombia and Martha Rogers of the USA finished third in their respective categories at the World Championships and will be among the front-runners in the 48kg and 69kg. Meanwhile Ecuadorian Neisi Dajomes will be hoping for the perfect gift just days after her 30th birthday as she aims to go one better in the 75kg after picking up a silver medal at the World Championships. In a schedule packed full of enticing contests, a fierce clash is also brewing in the 90kg between Chilean María Fernanda Valdés, who claimed second place in Anaheim, and Crismery Santana, who picked up a bronze medal at the World Championships and will be cheered on by the home fans, as one of 19 competitors from the Dominican Republic across the men’s and women’s

Weightlifting Course for Technical Officials in Thailand

The Basic Weightlifting course for Technical Officials was held 6 – 10 May, at the Grand Southern Hotel, Thung Song, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand. The event was supported by Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT), National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) and Thai Amateur Weightlifting Association (TAWA).   The Asian Weightlifting Federation (AWF) has great resources to educate and come up with new workshop initiatives for the Asian Technical Officials. On this occasion, Major General Intarat Yodbangtoey, IWF 1st Vice President and AWF Honorary President presented a special lecture for the audience.  This course was part of TAWA’s long-term plan to educate and widen the knowledge of technical officials.  63 Thai Technical Officials attended at the course.

Award Gala of 2017 Lifter of the Year Trophies

The "Jenő Boskovics Lifter of The Year 2017" Trophies by the WORLD WEIGHTLIFTING magazine were awarded to Lasha Talakhadze and Lidia Valentin at a special Award Gala on 7 May, in Tbilisi, Georgia. The Gala was held in the prominent Rustaveli Georgian National Theatre. Dr Tamás Aján, President of the IWF and Kornél Jancsó, Editor-in-Chief of WORLD WEIGHTLIFTING presented the awards to the deserving winners. In his speech, Dr Aján said: "This is a very special occasion for more than one reason. On the one hand, this is the first time a Georgian weightlifter has been awarded since the IWF started the Lifter of the Year award in 1982. The second reason is that Lidia Valentin is the first Spanish athlete to receive this honour since the female poll started in 1991. The final result of the online vote which was launched by WORLD WEIGHTLIFTING was clear-cut: Lidia Valentin won with a huge advantage, and Lasha Talakhadze, who came second in 2016, received significantly more votes than any of the four other nominees on the magazine’s list. All the athletes shortlisted for the prestigious title were world champions.   In addition to her three Olympic medals of different colours and her three European champion titles, Lidia Valentin also won the World Championship Gold medal in Anaheim in the 75kg category. With these results, she became the most successful female lifter in the world in 2017 and the most decorated Spanish weightlifter ever. Lasha Talakhadze, who was born in Sakchere is not yet 25 years old, but he has already won all the most important titles. In addition to his three European and two World Championship gold medals, he became an Olympic Champion in Rio 2016 in the superheavyweights. He holds the World Record in Snatch as well as in Total in the +105kg bodyweight category. He crowned his triumph of 2017 when he won the male Lifter of the Year award with 9,800 votes.   The Award Gala was attended by some of Georgia's most high-profile political and sporting leaders, including Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, who voiced how proud he is of the Georgian Olympic Champions who brought pride to the nation.  He thanked the IWF for bringing this prestigious event to Georgia.   Georgia's four weightlifting Olympic Champions were also present: Rafael Chimiskian, now 90 years old, was in attendance and pointed out that he started the sequence of Olympic Champions winning every 12 years. Three-time Olympic Champion Kakhi Kakhiashvili, who is now President of the Georgian Federation, and Giorgi Asanidze (gold medallist at 2004 Athens) who is now the Chief Coach behind the success of Georgian weightlifting, were also in attendance. Lasha Talakhadze, proudly joins the list of Georgia’s Olympic Champions.     International Guests of Honour included Zhanat Tussupbekov, IWF Vice President; Dr Hasan Akkus, EWF General Secretary; and Constantino Iglesias, President of Spanish Weightlifting Federation.   Mr Iglesias was deeply impressed by the ceremony and glad to report on a recent increase in interest in weightlifting in his country, especially among girls. Lidia Valentin expressed that she was greatly honoured and the Award Gala surpassed all her expectations. Lasha Talakhadze undoubtedly considered a role model in Georgia, humbly stated that he owes his success and this honour not only to the voters and the IWF but largely to his family, wife and coach, Aftandil Gachokidze.   Both the IWF and Georgian's representatives were mutually grateful for this opportunity and agreed that Tbilisi Lifter of the Year Award Gala further contributed to the prestige and the glory of weightlifting worldwide. Watch the Gala on Youtube! Follow IWF: Facebook Instagram Twitter

Deadline Reminder: Preliminary Entries for 2018 IWF World Championships

The deadline for submitting the Preliminary Entries to the 2018 Junior World Championships in Tashkent, UZB has run out on the 1st of May. Member Federations are hereby reminded to send their applications with utmost importance. We kindly ask you to register your athletes through the IWF Online Entry System:   http://www.iwf.net/e-entry   As an alternative, the traditional Entry Forms together with all other documents are accessible at the following link. The World Championship will be held between the 6th to the 14th of July.