News

Lasha Talakhadze elected president of the Georgian Federation

Three-time Olympic champion Lasha Talakhadze was elected yesterday as the new President of the Georgian Weightlifting Federation, after the unanimous vote of the 55 delegates at the electoral congress of the national body in Tbilisi. Talakhadze, a true legend in the sport of weightlifting, earned his third Olympic title in Paris 2024 after previous successes in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020ne. He has also won seven world and seven European gold medals. The current World Record holder in the heavyweight category takes over the function from another iconic lifter, Kakhi Kakhiashvili, who was also three times on the highest march of the podium at the Olympic Games, in 1992, 1996, and 2000. Photo credit: ewf.sport After 10 years at the helm of the Federation, Mr Kakhiashvili will remain involved in the activities of the Georgian national body, as Vice-President (alongside Irakli Turmanidze, Olympic bronze medallist in Rio 2016 and Nodar Sirbilashvili). Rusudani Muradashvili was reconfirmed as Secretary General. The IWF congratulates the great champion for another important achievement and wishes him the best of success in his new

Call for Letters of Interest: Become an “IWF Certified Supplier”!

The International Weightlifting Federation is happy to announce that in order to enhance its licensing programme, it has launched a public offer for certification of manufacturers and weightlifting equipment in the six categories listed below: Weightlifting barbell equipment, comprising the following full set of deliverables: Competition Stations Warm-up and training Stations Bars Bars Discs Discs Collars Collars Platforms Platforms Plate Racks Plate Racks Magnesia Container Magnesia Container Barbell Lifter Squat Stand Safety Barrier   Weightlifting competition stage Weightlifting costumes/singlets Weightlifting belts, wrist and knee sleeves, wraps and bandages Weightlifting Shoes Scales and portable saunas (for event purposes) For each of the categories, a non-exclusive agreement will be established with the IWF, whereby the selected manufacturers/products will be “IWF Certified Suppliers” for the period 2025-2028. This certification will allow each of the licensees to promote its products as IWF homologated and benefit from the associated promotional and marketing opportunities specified in the agreement. As the number of licensees is limited within each of the categories, a thorough technical, quality and compliance evaluation will be made by the IWF upon the reception of each candidature file. Expressions of interest must be transmitted to the IWF by no later than Monday, April 28, 2025, at the following e-mail: [email protected] Specific details concerning the financial conditions and the requirements to be fulfilled by each of the applicants can be obtained by contacting the IWF at the same e-mail ([email protected]). Technical requirements (if any) can be found in the IWF Technical Competition Rules (link

IWF120y/52 – 2008: A ‘delayed’ but historical medal for Samoa

In 1983, the Samoan Olympic Committee was created, and the first athletes representing the nation in the Games travelled to Los Angeles in 1984. The following year, Ele Opeloge was born and would become the only Olympic Samoan medallist (all sports) so far in the history of her country. She is also the first and only Pacific islander (natives from the Oceania islands grouped in one of these three regions: Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia) with a weightlifting Olympic podium presence! But the story is not simple: at the Beijing 2008 rendezvous, Opeloge competed in the women’s +75kg and ranked fourth (119-150-269). Years later, following the re-analysis of samples from those Games, the silver and bronze medallist in Opeloge’s event were found positive for prohibited substances and their medals withdrawn. Upgrading into the Olympic hierarchy, the Samoan star ended up with the silver medal, a pride for a nation that has a solid tradition in weightlifting. If you type “Opeloge” in the IWF athletes' result database, you will find numerous lifters. In fact, Ele comes from a successful weightlifting family, where 10 out of the 12 siblings competed internationally in the sport – her brother Niusula (born in 1980) was a gold medallist at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in the men’s 105kg, in the same day Ele triumphed in the women’s +75kg. Sister Mary (born in 1992) is a nine-time winner at the Oceania Championships (between 2008 and 2016). Ele is also a three-time winner at the Pacific Games and earned two gold medals at the Oceania Weightlifting Championships. She had a second Olympic participation in London 2012, finishing fifth. Ele is the aunt of Avatu Opeloge (her twin sister’s daughter), a silver medallist at the 2023 Pacific Games.

IWF120y/51 – 1964: Leonid Zhabotinsky, a reference of the 1960s

Before the emergence of China in the last decades, lifters from the Soviet Union were systematically at the top of the world weightlifting hierarchy at both the Olympic Games and World Championships. In the 1960s, one name is often cited: Leonid Zhabotinsky. Born in 1938, in what is today the territory of Ukraine, he made his first ‘appearance’ at the 1957 national championships, where he got a bronze medal. He then proceeded with his sportive career alongside his studies at the Kharkiv Pedagogical Institute, successfully qualifying for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. In the Japanese capital, he managed to beat his main rival and teammate Yury Vlasov, who had won in Rome four years earlier and was always better than Zhabotinsky at the previous world and European championships. Lifting 187.5-167.5-217.5-572.5 (the Clean & Jerk lift was a WR at the time), against a Total of 570kg for Vlasov, he gets his first Olympic title in the +90kg category. In Mexico City 1968, Zhabotinsky was the flagbearer of his delegation (he held the flag all the way through only with one hand, when most of the athletes needed the two hands) and revalidated the title with the same Total of 572.5 (200-170-202.5). Between the two Olympic wins, Zhabotinsky had been twice world champion, in 1965 and 1966. He finished his career in 1974, after setting 19 World Records along the way: his personal bests (and global marks by then) were 201.5 in Press, 185.5 in Snatch, 220 in C&J, and 590 in Total (with three lifts). After his retirement, he became a coach in the Soviet Army and deputy rector at the Moscow Institute of Business and Law. In 2004 (photo), he met Arnold Schwarzenegger (actor, politician, and famous bodybuilder), who always confessed that Zhabotinsky had been an idol in his youth. The Soviet/Ukrainian legend died in 2016, at the age of

IWF in mourning – Mrs Halina Pikula (POL)

The IWF learnt with great sadness about the loss of Mrs Halina Pikula, the General Secretary of the Polish Weightlifting Federation since 2013. Mrs Pikula was 71 and was pivotal in the successful implementation of Poland’s national body activities in recent years. Halina Pikuła’s dedication and contributions to weightlifting were invaluable. Her professionalism and passion helped shape the sport in her country and beyond, leaving a lasting legacy. She will be greatly missed. In this moment of grief, the IWF addresses its heartfelt condolences to her family, colleagues, and to the entire Polish weightlifting

Olympic lifters elected at the head of Cook Islands and Samoa NOCs

Great news coming from Oceania, where two prominent Olympic lifters were elected to the presidency of their respective National Olympic Committees: in Cook Islands, Luisa Peters is the new NOC leader, while in Samoa Jerry Wallwork will be at the helm of the country’s Olympic body. Luisa Peters (COK) Luisa Peters is a member of the IWF Athletes Commission and is also sitting on the IWF Executive Board. She is Vice-President of the Oceania Weightlifting Federation and President of her nation’s Weightlifting Federation. As an active lifter, she represented the Cook Islands at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games, respectively in London (GBR) and Rio (BRA). She was also present in three editions of the Commonwealth Games. Jerry Wallwork (SAM) Jerry Wallwork, Oceania Weightlifting Federation Senior Vice-President, competed for Samoa at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, after winning a silver medal in 1991 at the Pacific Games. Mr Wallwork is the President of Samoa Weightlifting and also a successful coach at the international level. In this capacity, he led with success one of his athletes – Ele Opeloge – to a silver medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympics. The election of Luisa Peters and Jerry Wallwork confirms the high status of weightlifting in Oceania, where other officials of the Sport are also presiding over their National Committees: Marcus Stephen (Nauru), Ed Imo (American Samoa), Michael Bloomfield (Tonga) and Anthony Muller (Marshall Islands).   IWF