News

IWF120y/64 – 2021: Hidilyn Diaz makes history for the Philippines

Her tiny morphology (she is 1.58m high) hides a strong woman and a hero in the Philippines: Hidilyn Diaz. Initiated in the sport of weightlifting almost by accident – through one of her cousins, after trying basketball and volleyball – Diaz built up a career that made her become the first-ever Olympic gold medallist for her nation (all sports and genders included), after clinching the Games title at the Tokyo 2020ne Games. Competing in the 55kg category, Diaz lifted 97-127-224 (her personal best at international competitions) and entered the history of the Filipino sport! It was also a rewarding outcome after a very challenging preparation for those Games, including a stranded stay for many months in Malaysia due to the COVID pandemic travel restrictions. This major success at her fourth Olympics followed a silver medal in Rio 2016 (88-112-200, in the 53kg category), and a 10th place in Beijing 2008 (in London 2012, she bombed out in Clean & Jerk). In 2018, she was the best in her category at the Asian Games. Despite a gold medal at the 2022 IWF World Championships in Bogota (COL), she could not do better than her teammate Elreen Ando (both competing in the 59kg category) in the qualification period for the Paris 2024 Olympics, thus missing what would have been her fifth Olympic participation. Born in 1991, Diaz has a business management degree and is presently a member of the IWF Athletes

Lima 2025: Verification of Final Entries closes on April 16

National Federations (NF) are kindly reminded that the deadline for Verification of Final Entries for the 2025 IWF World Youth & Junior Championships to be held in Lima (PER) is April 16, 2025 (Wednesday), at 12h00/Noon, CET. To complete this final phase, NF must login to the IWF E-Entry System (click HERE), and click on the "Verification of Final Entries for 2025 IWF WYJC, Lima, PER" tab at the top of the page:COMPETING ATHLETE(S) Check the athlete(s) BODYWEIGHT CATEGORY/ENTRY TOTAL and modify them if needed Select the athlete(s) by clicking the “CONFIRM” button on the left NON-COMPETING ATHLETE(S) Delete those athlete(s) who WILL NOT participate by clicking the “DUSTBIN” icon on the left  Following those steps, the “SEND VERIFICATION” button must be clicked.  For the NF’s reference, the Final List of Entries can be found HEREAfter the deadline of April 16, 2025, the IWF E-Entry System will be closed, and NF data cannot be modified

IWF120y/63 – 1983: Start of a successful story for ZKC

In northern China, in the Hebei province, the city of Botou has about 300,000 inhabitants, a small town according to the country’s standards. But for the weightlifting world, it assumes a special importance: since 1983, the barbell equipment ZKC has been produced there and has become a major partner of the IWF throughout the years. Certified by our International Federation in 2005, the bars and plates from ZKC were already present at the 2008 Olympics, held in Beijing. Since then, they were again the official suppliers of the Games in Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020ne, and Paris 2024. ZKC was also present in the first two editions of the Youth Olympic Games, in Singapore 2010 and Nanjing 2014. The Hebei Zhangkong Barbell Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (the official and complete name for ZKC) factory has a surface of 40’000 m2 and integrates 70 sets (including 10 fully automatised) of equipment production and 18 more for testing material. Moreover, the ZKC unit incorporates a flaw-detection and straightening department, a barbell quenching and tempering section, and a plate inspection centre. At the IWF World Championships level, ZKC was the equipment supplier at the 2023 showcase in Riyadh (KSA) and has been present in many Asian major events in recent years.

IWF120y/62 – 1981: Re-setting milestones in the IWF history

In May 1980, while the Olympic world was busy, trying to minimise the impact of the boycott on the Moscow Games, the IWF celebrated in Montreal (CAN) the “100 Years of Modern Weightlifting” and the “60 Years of the International Weightlifting Federation”. 60 years?! How come, if the foundation of what would become the IWF occurred in 1905? Well, this is clear now, but at the time, the most accepted version of history was that 1920 was the founding year of the IWF, as from 1905 to that date, other names were given, and other activities/sports were associated with the world governing body. This is partly true, but one Yugoslavian/Serbian official, Vladan Mihajlovic (photo), Chairman of the IWF Historical and Statistical Commission (and father of Milan, presently Member of the IWF Technical Committee), provided in 1981 “authentic documents” proposing that: 1. The birth date of the International Federation should be recorded as being June 10, 1905 as the “Amateur Athletes World Union” (1905), the “International World Federation for Strength Athletics” (1912), and the “International Amateur World Federation for Strength Athletics” (1913) could be considered as legitimate predecessors of the International Weightlifting Federation; 2. The so-called “wild” World Championships before 1920 should be taken into consideration. If this proposal was officially endorsed in 1983 (and the chronology of the World Championships starts with the inaugural edition in 1891), the definitive establishment of IWF’s founding date (June 10, 1905) was only decided in 1987!

Astrit Hasani is new President of EWF

Astrit Hasani from Kosovo is the new President of the European Weightlifting Federation. In a head-to-head between two candidates, Hasani polled 24 votes against 19 for the incumbent Italian Antonio Conflitti from Moldova. “I am deeply honoured and truly humbled by your confidence to elect me as the President of European Weightlifting Federation,” Hasani told delegates at the EWF Electoral Congress in Chisinau, Moldova, host city for the senior European Championships which begin this Sunday. The new EWF Executive Board, led by Astrit Hasani (in the centre) - Photo credit: ewf.sport “I will lead a team who will show genuine transparency. Europe will be truly united and we will choose the best people for the next IWF Congress.”  Milan Mihajlovic from Serbia will serve a second term as General Secretary after being re-elected by a wide margin. Tina Beiter was unopposed as First Vice-President, becoming the first woman to hold that role. The three vice-presidents are Jesmond Caruana (Malta), Stian Grimseth (Norway) and Nedim Masic (Bosnia and Herzegovina). The new EWF executive board members are: Triin Podersoo (Estonia), Patrik Helgesson (Sweden), Tomas Chovanec (Slovakia), Ilva Alushaj (Albania), Dusan Kovac (Czech Republic) and Patrick Fassott (Germany). Photo credit: ewf.sport Hasani, the first official from Kosovo ever to hold a leadership role at any continental sports federation, said he was keen for the EWF to align its Constitution more closely to the IWF’s. He takes the Presidency

IWF120y/61 – 2007: Olympian Marcus Stephen becomes President of Nauru

It is not uncommon to see successful weightlifters reaching, upon their retirement, high positions in the sports administration (Federation or Olympic Committee) of their respective countries. There are also several cases of former athletes choosing a political career, as members of the parliament or as top officials at the ministry of sport. But the case of Marcus Stephen is exceptional: after competing internationally in the 1990s, he became President of Nauru, the microstate in Oceania, from 2007 to 2011! Three-time Olympian in Barcelona 1992 (under the flag of Samoa, as Nauru didn’t have an Olympic Committee at the time), Atlanta 1996, and Sydney 2000 (on both occasions, already representing Nauru), his best result was a ninth place in Spain. At the IWF level, he clinched a silver medal in the Clean & Jerk section (with a lift of 172.5kg) of the 1999 World Championships. With four participations at the Commonwealth Games, Stephen earned two gold (in 1994 and 1998) and two silver medals (1990 and 2002). Throughout his career, he lifted in the 59/60/62kg categories. Off the platform, he was elected MP in 2003 and ascended in the political hierarchy of his nation, until reaching the Presidency in 2007. His Excellency Marcus Stephen is presently President of the Oceania Weightlifting Federation, Nauru Olympic Committee, and IWF Executive Board Member. At home, he is since 2019 the Speaker of the Parliament of