News

Don’t miss the entry deadlines: Leon 2024 and Bahrain 2024

Please be sure not to miss two important deadlines concerning the remaining events of the year, the IWF World Junior Championships and the IWF World Championships. The junior rendezvous will take place in Leon, Spain, and tomorrow, Thursday, September 5 at 12:00/noon (CET), is the deadline for the Verification of Final Entries, exactly two weeks before the start of the competition, running from September 19-27. During this online procedure, National Member Federations should confirm the bodyweight categories and entry totals of their participating athletes, or eventually delete those that are not taking part in the Championships. Regarding the IWF World Championships, to be held in Manama, the capital of Bahrain, from December 6-15, the deadline for Preliminary Entries is this Friday, September 6, three months before the beginning of the IWF showcase. For this purpose, each Member Federation can register up to 20 athletes per gender. For both procedures, please click on the IWF E-Entry

IWF is now member of the Global Esports Federation

The IWF is pleased to announce that its membership to the Global Esports Federation (GEF) has been accepted and the Sport of weightlifting is now part of this exciting new family. The IWF application request was made in the final days of July and on August 1, the GEF President Chris Chan confirmed the membership status of our International Federation. “I would like to warmly welcome the IWF into the Global Esports Family. We are greatly honoured to have IWF as a Member of the GEF,” Mr Chan wrote in his letter. Mr José Quiñones, IWF Executive Board Member and President of the Pan-American Weightlifting Federation, and Mr Achilleas Tsogas, IWF CEO, will be the two weightlifting representatives in the GEF working group of International Federations (IFAC). “We truly believe that the input and support of the IWF to this focus group will be instrumental,” also stated Mr Chan. Photo credit: globalesports.org In charge of the promotion, support and development of the worldwide esports eco-system, the GEF has presently 180 members in the five continents. With a mission to cultivate competition along with developing communities and the connection between sport, esports and technology, the GEF celebrates the universality of global esports through the staging of international, continental, and events throughout the year. The annual Global Esports Games is the flagship event for the Global Esports Federation. Photo credit: globalesports.org “This is really an exciting new path for our International Federation. In 2025, we celebrate our 120 years, but our aim is to remain always innovative and ‘young’. The membership to the GEF is a privileged platform to present our Sport in another dimension, thus generating and motivating more fans around the globe. The possibilities offered by new technologies are already re-shaping the way we are practicing sport, so let’s write, together, another page in our brilliant history! We are also happy to see that the IOC is also embracing these new developments,” considered the IWF President Mohammed Jalood. At its Session, some days before the start of the Olympic Games in Paris, the IOC announced that the end of 2025 will see the organisation of the first-ever Olympic Esports Games, in Saudi Arabia.   IWF

Paris 2024 produced 26 new records – and Nasar got eight of them!

If we had to measure the quality of the weightlifting performances in Paris, a good indicator would be the total number of records established in the French capital during the 2024 Olympic Games: 26! They are divided into three categories – World, Olympic (OR), and World Junior – and spanned throughout eight out of the 10 bodyweight categories on the programme of these Games. In fact, only the men’s 102kg and the women’s +81kg did not produce any improvement on the existing standards. Otherwise, five men established 13 new best marks, and nine athletes from the women’s field bettered another 13 records (all Olympic). With the changes – compared to previous editions of the Games - in the bodyweight categories for both genders, it was expected that the majority of new records would be Olympic ones. That was the case, with 19 lifts improving the previous standards. There was still a place for two (senior) World and five World Junior records. Karlos Nasar (BUL) Among men, the undisputed star was Bulgaria’s Karlos Nasar. Having completed 20 years old in May, he still falls into the junior category. In the 89kg final, he first lifts 213kg in the clean & jerk for a new OR, and then proceeds to a World (and Olympic, and Junior) best mark of 224kg. Adding these results to the 180kg successful attempt in the snatch, he respectively establishes an OR in the total (393kg) and then a World, Olympic, and World Junior global mark of 404kg! Out of the 13 records in the male competition, the Bulgarian ace is therefore responsible for eight of them! Ali Ammar Yusur (IRQ) In the +102kg, talented Ali Ammar Yusur, from Iraq and born on August 2, 2004, improved two World Junior records, when he snatched 200kg and completed a total of 437kg! Li Fabin (CHN, 61kg), Weeraphon Wichuma (THA, 73kg) and Rizki Juniansyah (INA, 73kg) were the remaining stars in this statistic: the winner in the 61kg got a new OR in the snatch (143kg); the Indonesian gold medallist in the 73kg also improved an OR in the clean & jerk (199kg); and 20-year-old Wichuma returned home with a new World Junior record also in the clean & jerk (198kg). Among women, only Olympic records were improved, but there are more athletes involved: nine. The two most prolific ones were Luo Shifang (CHN, 59kg) and Solfrid Koanda (NOR, 81kg), with four and three new best marks respectively. Luo Shifang (CHN) In the lighter category, the Chinese champion first snatched 105kg, and then 107kg. In the clean and jerk, she successfully lifted 134 kg, for a total of 241kg. The Norwegian gold medallist first established an OR in total (269kg), and improved it with a clean and jerk of 154kg (also an OR) for a new best of 275kg. Solfrid Koanda (NOR) The list concludes with six lifters with one OR each: in the 49kg, Hou Zhihui (CHN) made a 117kg clean and jerk; in the 59kg category, Kamila Konotop (UKR) first snatched 104kg, and then Maude Charron (CAN) improved it to 106kg; in the 71kg category, it happened the same – Angie Palacios (ECU) initially lifted 116kg in the snatch, but soon after Olivia Reeves (USA) did 1kg better, establishing the new OR in 117kg; finally, in the 81kg, and before Koanda’s performances, Sara Samir (EGY) had improved the OR in the clean and jerk, with a 151kg lift. By Pedro AdregaIWF Communications OFFICIAL RESULTS here – The list of new records can be found on pages 13-14 of this

Paris review: Karlos Nasar leads the way as young stars – and fans – excel on the biggest stage

If Paris 2024 is a good guide, weightlifting is heading for a bright future. While the outstanding individual achievement was Lasha Talakadze winning his third gold, the best performance of the Olympic Games came from Karlos Nasar, who was 20 in May. Many people expected the formidable Bulgarian to win at 89kg, but few would have expected him to smash the world record on total by 8kg. Karlos Nasar (BUL) Liu Huanhua had, in his own words, “a breakthrough victory for Chinese weightlifting” at the age of 22. He is the first man from his country to win in a 100kg-plus category. Rizki Juniansyah won 73kg gold aged 21 for Indonesia, which also expects much from Rahmat Erwin in the years to come. Olivia Reeves, also 21, was the first American woman to stand on top of the weightlifting podium at the Olympics. Li Wenwen won her second gold for China aged 24. Solfrid Koanda became Norway’s first female champion at 25. Olivia Reeves (USA) Seven of the 10 winners were 25 or younger, which in percentage terms is twice as many as last time in Tokyo, where the ratio was five in 14 medal events. We saw outstanding performances by other youngsters in Paris. Mihaela Cambei from Romania went close to winning gold at 21, taking her social media following close to half a million in the process. Park Hyejeong from Korea, also 21, finished second to Li Wenwen and is already looking forward to a rematch at Los Angeles 2028. Four other 20-year-olds, besides Nasar, shone in the men’s events – medallists Weeraphon Wichuma and Theerapong Silachai from Thailand and Hampton Morris from the United States, plus the exciting super-heavyweight Ali Ammar Yusur from Iraq. Ammar, who broke two junior world records in finishing sixth, should win the junior world title by a long way in Spain next month. Lasha Talakhadze (GEO) There were many more stars in Paris – thousands of them, sitting and often rising to their feet in the 4,000-capacity South Paris Arena. The fans created a vibrant, party-like atmosphere throughout the sessions. Those who were there speak especially highly of the “show” at Atlanta 1996, Athens 2004 and London 2012. Paris 2024 was up there with them. There was a good example in the final session on Sunday, the women’s super-heavyweights in which two lifters – Chaidee Duangaksorn from Thailand and Crismery Santana from Dominican Republic - were saved from a bombout by the crowd’s support.   Chaidee looked downhearted and beaten in the back room after two snatch failures. She could barely believe the backing she got when she came out for her third attempt and made it. Mihaela Cambei (ROU) “I have never experienced anything like it,” she said. “It was like the people were lifting the bar with me.” Many other athletes said the same. Lesman Paredes from Bahrain was among them and may go back on his decision to retire after his experience in Paris. “I loved it out there. The support from the crowd, I could really feel it.” One element the crowd clearly did not like was the jury review process. Every overturned ‘good lift’ decision was greeted with boos. There was good news away from the platform, too. Those who have been in weightlifting for a while will know that when the wider media world takes an interest in the sport, it is often for “bad news” reasons. Li Wenwen (CHN) This time the reports about doping and corruption were nowhere to be seen. There was a positive report about weightlifting in the Wall Street Journal, the second largest newspaper in the United States which usually focuses on business and finance. One of the global news agencies wrote about the IWF’s “rebirth” after years of problems. It referenced the time, not long ago, when weightlifting was deemed to be “a problem child” by the IOC. As the IWF president Mohammed Jalood said in that report, “I’m fully convinced that we aren’t any more.” By Brian

Paris, Women +81kg: What a show! Li Wenwen lifts China’s fifth gold – and her coach

Li Wenwen lifted her coach rather than the barbell on the way to claiming her second Olympic title in the last – and noisiest - session of weightlifting at Paris 2024. Her win helped China to continue its run of winning at least five weightlifting gold medals at every Games this century. Li is so dominant in the super-heavyweights, she needed only four attempts to win by 10kg ahead of Park Hyejeong from Korea and Emily Campbell from Great Britain. She declined her third snatch and when she came out for her final attempt she had no intention of making the 174kg lift. Li Wenwen (CHN) celebrating with her coach Instead she marched around the platform to celebrate as the clock ran down, encouraging the 4,000 spectators to raise the noise level yet again. Li bowed and waved, then hoisted her coach Wu Meijin from the floor below and on to the stage. That was easy for Li because Wu is a former lightweight athlete who weighs little more than two red discs. The crowd loved it. They had played their part in making the final session a memorable one, cheering on every athlete. Usually the men’s super-heavyweights bring a competition to a close. For the first time here, the women went last. Li Wenwen (CHN) “We’re fun girls,” said Campbell, who performed a cartwheel on the stage after winning her medal. “Li Wenwen’s a character, Park’s a character, I’m a character, so is the girl from Ecuador (Lisseth Ayovi, who was fourth). People relate to that and enjoy that when we’re out there, and we all have a good time. “I heard the music was pretty good today and everyone was in the party spirit. It’s the last day of the Olympics and we’re having one big last party before it’s all over. I don’t think they’ll be putting the men on last again.” Park agreed. “We are friends as well as competitors,” she said. Park Hyejeong (KOR) Li said she wanted to put Wu in the spotlight “because he’s like a father to me”. Her social media followers had suggested she try it, she said. “I didn’t know if he would be angry or not but I did it anyway.” She needed Wu’s support in the latter part of the qualifying period because of a serious elbow injury sustained at the World Championships in Saudi Arabia last September. That kept her out of the Asian Games and the next Paris qualifier. Li made a gesture before her second snatch to show the crowd why she was performing within herself, pointing to her right elbow. “I got a bit nervous today because I’m still stressed about my injuries,” Li said. Her 136-173-309 was her lowest total in a major competition. Even so, she has a combined winning margin in Tokyo and Paris of 47kg. Emily Campbell (GBR) Park failed with her final attempt, which would have taken her past the 300kg mark for the first time in international competition, and finished 131-168-299. That gave Korea a medal at last after four disappointments earlier in the week. Campbell made her first four lifts before two failures, including a final attempt at 174kg that would have taken her past Park into second place. She finished 126-162-288 and is now the second British weightlifter to win medals at two Olympic Games. Louis Martin was the first in the 1960s. Ayovi was clearly lifted by the crowd’s support as she made five good lifts for a career-best total of 283kg in fourth place. Mary Theisen Lappen from the United States was fifth and Chaidee Duangaksorn Chaidee from Thailand was sixth on her 27th birthday. By Brian

Paris, Men +102kg: Weightlifting history is made as Lasha claims landmark third Olympic gold

Lasha Talakhadze from Georgia became the fifth weightlifter to win three Olympic gold medals at Paris South Arena tonight. He might even stay around long enough for a fourth, he suggested afterwards. Super-heavyweight Lasha, as Talakhadze is known throughout the weightlifting world, is the first man weighing 100kg-plus to achieve the feat. He had to work hard this time – far harder than he did in Rio and Tokyo – but he won with a lift to spare when the Armenian Varazdat Lalayan failed with his final attempt. The winning margin was 3kg, compared with 22kg in 2016 and 47kg in Tokyo. But this was Lasha’s first competition in 328 days because knee injuries had kept him off the platform, and he was not in his very best condition. He remains unbeaten since 2015. Lasha Talakhadze (GEO) “Because of my injuries and the strength of the other competitors it was harder,” said Lasha, who will be 31 in October. “The Olympic Games is what really matters and all I wanted to do was win this third medal. I did it, and now I have one for each of my three children. “My greatest wealth is this medal because it was so difficult to get it. I want to enjoy this moment, feel the happiness from this medal. After that, if my physical condition gives me the chance I will stay in this sport.” Lasha declined his final attempt after making 215-255-470. Lalayan missed at 256kg and finished 215-252-467. His former team-mate Gor Minasyan was third for Bahrain on 216-245-461. Lasha weighed in at 178.45kg, his heaviest since his world-record victory at the 2021 World Championships. All three men failed with their final snatch attempt and Minasyan led the other two by 1kg at halfway. Unlike Lalayan and Minasyan, Lasha did not fail with a clean and jerk – although the centre referee gave his 255kg second attempt a red light after a little wobble overhead. There was no jury review. Varazdat Lalayan (ARM) Ali Davoudi from Iran and Man Asaad from Syria, who took silver and bronze in Tokyo, were fourth and fifth. Sixth place went to the hugely impressive Iraqi Ali Ammar Yusur, who was still a teenager when the Olympics began. Ammar, now 20, broke snatch and total junior world records and went for the clean and jerk too on his final attempt, which he missed. He made 200-237-437 and said, “This was my strongest competition and I finished sixth. At the next Olympic Games in Los Angeles, inshallah, I will win gold.” Ammar will be a very strong favourite for gold at the World Juniors in Spain next month. Lalayan, 25, said his silver was the most important medal of his career. Asked if he felt he could beat Lasha he said, “I can’t exactly say that. He’s always ready, and I’m always ready to compete with him.” Minasyan said, “What can you say about the three-time gold medallist? He’s a very good person. We’ve been competing with each other for 15 years and we are friends as well as competitors.” Gor Minasyan (BRN) Lasha made the heaviest lift in weightlifting history three years ago, 267kg, when there was talk of him making a 500kg total. He has set countless world records in winning 17 Olympic, world and European titles. But there have been signs of vulnerability during qualifying for Paris. At the 2023 World Championships in Saudi Arabia last September his coach Giorgi Asanidze said, “The others are closing in on Lasha. The standard he showed today will not be enough any more.” Today was Lasha’s first competition since then. His total was down 3kg on the World Championships. The other four triple champions are Lasha’s national federation president Kakhi Kakhiashvili, IWF vice-president Pyrros Dimas, who also won a bronze to end his stellar career for Greece, and two lifters who achieved the feat for Turkey, Halil Mutlu and the late Naim Suleymanoglu. The four won their medals between 1988 and 2004. Their ages, when they won for a third time, ranged from 28 to 31. Kakhi – also known simply by his forename - said before the Olympics, “It is much more difficult for a heavyweight athlete to keep in shape for a long period of time. Should Lasha claim his third title he would probably be named the best weightlifter of all time already based on the combination of all of his achievements. “Should we all be blessed with Lasha’s fourth Olympic gold medal he would definitely get the title of all-time best and keep it for a very long time. It is my dream for Lasha to celebrate his fourth Olympic gold.” After Lasha’s victory, Kakhi said he expected Lasha to take a break for a month and return to training. “He is a professional, I think he can keep going. My plan is to host the European Championships in Georgia in 2026, probably in Batumi. That would be the setting for Lasha to make his 500.” By Brian