News

Ricardo Arratia passed away

The National Federation of Chile announces with great sorrow that the ex-athlete, coach and official Ricardo Arratia passed away. For many years, Arratia and weightlifting in Chile meant the same thing. He represents the real love to sport. Nothing was more important for him than weightlifting. Since 1948 he was part of weightlifting and part of the founders of the first association in Valparaíso and then of the national federation. He was the first athlete who represented Chile and also the first Chilean ITO. Hundreds of athletes of different generations were coached by him, received his advices and until today remember his particular way to encourage them at competence and the graphic way to explain the technical movements. The Weightlifting Family would like to express its condolences to his family and the respect to the father of the Chilean

IWF Statement: McLaren Investigation Report

The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) has received the McLaren Report on the WADA Investigation of Sochi Allegations and noted with regret that the sport of Weightlifting is implicated. The IWF contacts WADA in order to receive evidence regarding the McLaren report and ready to carefully evaluate the outcomes and fully cooperate with the respective Anti-Doping Organisations. In the past four years (2013-2016) the IWF organised the following Events in Russia: 2013 IWF GP - 3rd President's Cup – Moscow; 2014 IWF Junior World Championships – Kazan; IWF GP - 4th President's Cup - Noyabrsk 2015 IWF GP - 5th President's Cup - Grozny 2016 IWF GP - 6th President's Cup - Kazan It is important to emphasize that none of the samples taken in these Events were analysed in the Moscow Laboratory. Furthermore the IWF runs an extensive out of competition (OOC) testing program in Russia and within the aforementioned period none of the OOC samples were analysed in the Moscow Laboratory. The IWF showed multiple time its zero tolerance towards doping and acted as a pioneer by banning Bulgarian lifters from participating at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. The IWF also withdrew numerous quota places from countries having produced multiple positive cases in the Qualification period. The IWF Executive Board further decided that National Federations confirmed to have produced 3 or more Anti-Doping Rule Violations in the combined re-analysis process of the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games shall be suspended for 1

Reiko Kato Chinen appointed as Weightlifting Sport Manager for Tokyo 2020

Reiko Kato Chinen was appointed as the Weightlifting Sport Manager for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Starting as an athlete, Reiko Kato Chinen has been involved in weightlifting more than 30 years. She is a well experienced and knowledgeable sport administrator, having served also as Technical Director at the 2014 IWF World Championships Almaty, KAZ. Being part of 5 Olympic Games as International Technical Official, she is currently Member of the IWF Technical Committee she is also Member of the Asian Weightlifting Federation and Japan Weightlifting Association Executive Board. Speaking about the appointment, Mrs. Chinen said: “Working also in the bidding process for Tokyo, it was my dream to bring the Olympic Games to my country to develop the sport further. Now having full responsibility to deliver unforgettable Games, I will aim to bring success to JWA, IWF and weightlifting.” The IWF congratulates Mrs. Chinen and will give her all support to make the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games weightlifting competitions a big success.

Superheavyweight rocked Tbilisi

W+75kg Georgian crowd was very enthusiastic especially when HOTFRID Anastasiia (GEO) lifted 116kg and got a 1kg advantage in the Snatch. She was closely followed by Youth Olympic Champion in 2014 CHAIDEE Duangaksorn (THA). After a missed attempt in the Snatch at 111kg, she made it to 115kg. Third place winner AYOVI CABEZAS Lisseth Betzaida (ECU) ended with 108kg, but had lower numbers than the leading lifters in the Clean and Jerk. She ended 4th with a Total of 235kg. Clean and Jerk was an easy win for CHAIDEE. Going for 141kg-146kg-150kg, she dominated the Women’s +75kg. Silver medal went to the local favorite HOTFRID Anastasiia (GEO) who was the only athlete trying to catch up with her. With a Total of 236kg – being 29kg less than CHAIDEE – BROWN Mercy Opeyemi (GBR) stood up on the third place of the podium. With two 4th places, she managed M+105kg MARTIROSYAN Simon (ARM) was unstoppable and became the last Junior World Champion to be crowned in Tbilisi. The 19 year old athlete dominated the field and ended with a Total of 412kg being 25kg ahead of Silver Medallist GABER Ahmed Mohamed Abdelhamed Mohamed (EGY) and Bronze Medal winner KAJDOCI Tamas (SRB). The last competition was the most competitive between all and gave a wonderful ending to the 2016 IWF Junior World Championships Tbilisi, GEO. Snatching 177kg, CHINEN Kosuke (JPN) got a Silver medal. His 200kg result in the Clean and Jerk brought him 9th and he ended the Total in 5th place. With 221kg in the Clean and Jerk, GABER managed to get a Silver Medal and even made it to the second place in the Total. The Serbian KAJDOCI Tamas missed his last attempt in the Clean and Jerk at 220kg and ended with three Bronze Medals and a Total of 387kg – losing the second place only by

GEORGIAN GOLD!

W75kg In an intense competition, the European Champion DEKHA Iryna (UKR) defeated the Asian Champion MUNKHJANTSAN Ankhtsetseg (MGL). 8 Women competed in the W75kg A group, but it became clear very quickly that the fight for the medals will took place between 3 of them: DEKHA, MUNKHJANTSAN and LIANG. In the Snatch, the Ukrainian lifter took only a 1kg advantage over the Mongolian lifter (116kg against 115kg) while LIANG Xiaomei (CHN) only reached 109kg. The Chinese lifter won all three Bronze Medals for her Clean and Jerk of 136kg and Total of 245kg. DEKHA chose the strategy to follow the lifts of MUNKHJANTSAN and came out on the same weight to secure herself the victory. She let the lighter Mongolian lifter win the Gold in the Clean and Jerk with 138kg, but anyway she got the Junior World Champion title with a Total of 254kg. M105kg The crowd and fans in Georgia were looking forward to the Men’s 105kg category. Georgian National team member CHKHEIDZE Giorgi was the absolute favorite today and he proved it during the competition. Winning the Snatch with a 1kg advantage, CHKHEIDZE ended third in the Clean and Jerk (207kg) behind SOLOVEV Nikita (RUS) making it 210kg and DEHGHANGHAHFAROKHI Alireza (IRI) defeating him by bodyweight. Silver medallist in the Snatch RUIZ I VELASCO Marcos (ESP) couldn’t make it to the podium and ended 4th. DEHGHANGHAHFAROKHI Alireza (IRI) third place in the Snatch missed his Clean and Jerk attempt twice at 213kg – just like CHKHEIDZE – and missed the Gold Medal only by 1kg ending with a Total of 378kg. In the end CHKHEIDZE Giorgi (GEO) was crowned Junior World Champion in the Men’s 105kg with a Total of 379kg. „It’s an unforgetable feeling! I am happy and proud! I want to dedicate this victory to my coaches, fans and the whole country -

Winners of today: Ecuador and Uzbekistan

W69kg Predicted as winner, DAJOMES BARRERA Neisi Patricia (ECU) 2013 Youth World Champion and Pan-American Junior and Youth World Champion won with ease. She won all three Gold Medals with 105kg – 125kg – 230kg. She came out last in the Snatch to take her lifts and got a 7kg advantage that she kept all along the Clean and Jerk and even raised to 11kg. PALACIOS DAJOMES Angie Paola (ECU) got Silver in Snatch defeating SHEVKOPLIAS Alona (UKR) by bodyweight. However in the Clean and Jerk and Total PALACIOS DAJOMES only got 5th and 4th place while the Ukrainian lifter SHEVKOPLIAS took all three Bronze medals lifting a Total of 218kg. Silver in the Clean and Jerk and Total went to CANTU IGLESIAS Jennifer Michell (MEX) who was only 4th in the Snatch. M94kg Gold medallist in the Snatch with 172kg, PAREDES MONTANO Lesman (COL) started lower in the Snatch than his opponents. He couldn’t keep his leading position while ending 4th in the Clean and Jerk, but got the Silver in the Total with 372kg. Starting too high in the Snatch attempting once 170kg and 171kg twice, HOZA Volodymyr (UKR) got no good lifts and couldn’t secure a Total. Powerful in the Clean and Jerk he stood on the first place with 204kg. Two Silver meant one Gold for SOBIROV Farkhodbek (UZB). Ending second with 170kg and 203kg with, that 1kg advantage over PARADES MONTANO was enough for the victory. 4th at the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympic Games, BEIRALVAND Reza (IRI) took three Bronze making a Total of