News

2014-2015: 21per cent more positive samples in world sports

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) published its 2015 Testing Figures Report (2015 Report), which summarizes the results of all 2015 samples analyzed by WADA-accredited laboratories across all sports, as reported in WADA’s Anti-Doping Administration and Management System (ADAMS).  This includes in- and out-of-competition urine, blood and Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) blood data, and the subsequent AAFs and Atypical Findings (ATFs) reported. The 2015 Report represents the first set of global testing data since the 2015 World Anti-Doping Code (Code) came into effect on 1 January 2015. Two years ago, in the WADA-accredited laboratories 283,304 tests had been made in all sports, while last year 7.1% more, i.e. 303,369 samples were analyzed. In a year's span, compared to 2014, the number of positive cases in 2015 has grown by almost 21 %. While in 2014 3,153 samples returned an AAF (positive), the same data for 2015 indicate 3,809. However, the final official data on the ADRVs will be published by WADA in

African Technical Officials’ Training Course

Within the framework of the IWF Education Program, the WFA held a Technical Officials' Educational Training Course from 14-20 November 2016 in Kampala, Uganda. The Course targeted referees and other Technical Officials from Congo, Kenya, Uganda and was conducted by Prof. Dr. Milan V. Mihajlovic. On the last day of the Seminar the Weightlifting Federation of Uganda (UWF) organized a competition “Uganda Open – Champion of Champions”, so that participants could practice the different Technical Officials’ roles after the previous theoretical lessons. Mr. Salim Musoke Ssenkungu, President of the UWF thanked to WFA for the opportunity and to IWF for the support given to organize this Seminar. (Source: Timea

Versis, a forgotten Greek hero

141 years ago, on 30 November 1875 was born one of the undeservedly forgotten heros of weightlifting: Sotirios Versis. The name of this Greek athlete is often missing even from the sports-specific annals, although he rightly deserves a place among the greatest of the sport.  At the first Modern Olympic Games held in his country, the 1896 Games in Athens, Versis placed third in the two-hands clean and jerk event after raising 90 kilograms. He placed fourth in the one-handed snatch competition, lifting 40 kilograms. Even fewer people know that he also took part in the athletic events and took a third place in discus-throw with 27.78 metres.

Lasha Talakhadze receives a Star

2016 Rio Olympics superheavyweight champion Lasha Talakhadze received the highest distinction of Georgia from his country's President Giorgi Margvelashvili: the President's Order of Excellence. In a ceremony held in Tbilisi, the Olympic champion who won the +105kg at the 2016 Rio Games with a new world record total of 473kg received a special "Star" to complete the Order, as his name engraved in a golden star was added to the memorial wall accorded to the greatest athletes in the history of Georgia. The presidential award conferred upon Talakhadze included a bonus equivalent of twenty thousand dollars "for having served his country and enhancing the international renown of Georgian sport" by his performance and victory in Rio. (Source:

Nassiri donates 1972 Munich Silver medal to Olympic Museum

Iran’s hero weightlifter Mohammad Nassiri who won many medals including the Olympic gold medal (Mexico 1968), Silver (Munich 1972) and Bronze (Montreal 1976) and 5 World championships gold medals, has donated his Munich Silver medal to the IOC Olympic Museum. The IOC organized a medal donation ceremony on 24th November in Lausanne. Actually there is a nice story in behind, thieves have stolen his Olympic medal 30 years ago! And after a long time of searching and looking for it, an Olympic fan found somebody is selling Nassiri’s medal on the Internet for 10,000 USD! So, he contacted the guy and finally after long negotiating he could manage to buy the medal and bring it back to Iran. After a journey of 30 years the medal was finally awarded back to Nassiri during a wonderful ceremony in the presence of President Aján in Tehran four months ago. Nassiri then decided to donate this medal to the Olympic Museum in Lausanne. Many people participated in the donation ceremony including kids and Iranians living in Switzerland, as well as the Iranian Ambassador and Ali Moradi, President of Iran’s Weightlifting Federation. Francis Gabet, Director of the Olympic Museum and Cultural Heritage welcomed Nassiri and introduced him to audience as an amazing Olympian who competed in four Games and collected many world titles and Olympic medals. Nassiri received a Certificate of Appreciation signed by IOC President Thomas Bach. In his speech, Nassiri pointed out that it was the most important moment in his career to be here and donate his silver medal from 1972 to the right place. Source: Amir

Update on Reanalysis

The Disciplinary Commission of the International Olympic Committee has recently issued decisions in the reanalysis cases of the following athletes: Beijing 2008: PASHAYEV, Nizami - AZE - 94 kg KULESHA, Iryna - BLR - 75 kg GRABOVETSKAYA, Mariya - KAZ - +75 kg ILYIN, Ilya - KAZ - 94 kg MANEZA, Maiya - KAZ - 63 kg NEKRASSOVA, Irina - KAZ - 63 kg SEDOV, Vladimir - KAZ - 85 kg AKKAEV, Khadzimzrat - RUS - 94 kg LAPIKOV, Dmitry - RUS - 105 kg DAVYDOVA, Natalya - UKR - 69 kg London 2012: KHURSHUDYAN, Hripsime - ARM - +75 kg KOSTOVA, Boyanka - AZE - 58 kg KULESHA, Iryna - BLR - 75 kg ZHARNASEK, Yauheni - BLR - +105 kg TSIREKIDZE, Rauli - GEO - 85 kg ILYIN, Ilya - KAZ - 94 kg UTESHOV, Almas - KAZ - 94 kg CIRICU, Anatoli - MDA - 94 kg IOVU, Christina - MDA - 53 kg DEMANOV, Andrey - RUS - 94 kg IVANOV, Alexandr - RUS - 94 kg ZABOLOTNAYA, Natalia - RUS - 75 kg These athletes were found to have committed Anti-Doping Rule Violations and their results from the 2008/2012 Olympic Games were disqualified by the IOC DC. The IWF will take over the Results Managements of the above cases after the relevant appeal deadlines (21 days) expire and the status of the cases will then be changed to 'closed IOC/ongoing IWF' on the IWF website's Reanalysis