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The very first Youth Olympic Games

This first edition of the Youth Olympic Games welcomed a total of 104 participating weightlifters out of 64 countries. IWF takes great pleasure in congratulating Singapore on its accomplishment for providing stupendous atmosphere and conditions for every athlete and official participating in the weightlifting competitions.   The numbers of gold medal winning countries are 8. Lifters from the Asian continent won 5 and lifters from the European continent won 3 gold medals.   There were 20 medal winning nations from 4 continents. Lifters from Asia won 8, from Europe 6, from Pan-America 4 and from Africa 2 medals.   We had the pleasure to be present at the first attempt of the YOG, Lilla BERKI (HUN, Women 48kg, 40kg) and of the last attempt on the YOG, Alireza KAZEMINEJAD (IRI, Men +85kg, 196kg). They both performed a good lift, and we would like to congratulate them on their results.   The youngest athlete was Lomina TIBON (MHL, Women 53kg), born on the 17th of December 1994 and the so to speak "Oldest" athlete was Tairat BUNSUK (THA, Men 69kg), born on the 11th of January 1993.   Tian Yuan (CHN, Women 48kg) set two new Youth Women’s World Records in snatch and in total while Deng Wei (CHN, Women 58kg) improved Junior Women’s World Record in total and set Youth Women’s World Record in snatch, clean & jerk and in total.   Jacques Rogge the President of the IOC honored the + 85kg competition by making a longer appearance. Throughout the event several IOC members were present at weightlifting competitions every day. The IOC Member of the USA, Anita De Frantz, was so strongly amazed by the athletes and competition that she wrote a short story about her impressions.   Despite that the weightlifting competition came to an end, the first Youth Olympic Games is still going on until the closing ceremony to be held on the 26th of August.   We appreciate the conditions and assistance that have been provided for weightlifting by the Singapore Organizing Committee, and grateful to Tom Liaw Competition Manager for ensuring the success of the Games.

World Weightlifting’s brand new issue has appeared

In the 2010/2 edition readers can find a full preview of the upcoming main qualification event in Antalya. Moreover, it also includes the summary of the Junior World Championships held in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia. You can subscribe to World Weightlifting by contacting

Men’s last two categories wind up successful Youth Olympic Games

Singapore - 19 August 2010: The last two men's categories - 85kg yesterday and +85kg this morning - wound up the 1st Youth Olympic Games in Singapore: for weightlifting an entirely successful debut. Suspense and drama were both prevalent in the men's 85kg category, when Russian Alexey Kosov, after convincingly in the lead in snatch with 2kg plus bodyweight advantage over Bulgaria's Georgi Shikov finally lost to the latter in an exciting end-game. Shikov put a well-planned and impeccable six-on-six performance on stage, resulting in an Olympic gold medal for Bulgaria. Meanwhile Konstantyn Reva (UKR) did his own best earning the bronze medal. A very similar situation came about today, in the last competition, which was fought for the Youth Olympic title in the men's +85kg. In the presence of IOC President Dr. Jacques Rogge in the Toa Payoh Sports Hall, two hardly 16-year old giants were battling in a spectacular show. Gor Minasyan of Armenia was ahead of his challenger after the snatch, lifting 5kg more and enjoying (about 30kg bodyweight advantage). Yet, in the final countdown, Iran's Alireza Kazeminejad decided the outcome of the battle as early a in his second attempt at 196kg, making a 351kg total against the Armenian's 350kg finish. The host Singapore must be congratulated and thanked for putting on these inaugural Games on a much higher than expected level and justifying the IOC's initiative. Both the young participants and the officials engaged in the 1st YOG will always remember the events in Singapore, in August 2010. (Report and photos by Aniko Nemeth-Mora, IWF/World Weightlifting) 

IOC Member tells remarkable story from YOG weightlifting

Last evening I attended the weightlifting event.  It was the 85kg weight class for young men.  There was a bit of a drama at the beginning because the athlete from Pakistan, Irfan BUTT was not yet properly entered.  There had been some difficulty in finding his coach. As it turned out, the young man did not have a coach with him, or anyone to assist him at the event. Finally, his passport arrived at the venue with one minute to spare so he could be confirmed eligible for competition at the event. As they were waiting for the passport, the International Weightlifting Federation saw that he needed to have a coach with him so that he would be properly managed and led through the competition. Eventually, Thailand offered their Olympic gold medalist to coach him. Miss Pawina Thongsuk, at the same time Athlete Role Model for weightlifting, was happy to undertake the task. Butt finished in the last, 9th place, however, he successfully performed each and every one of his six attempts in competition.  Only a few of the spectators at the venue learned of this remarkable story. I feel both elated and fortunate to have been one of the few who knew what had happened as the tournament began.  It was a beautiful moment to experience as a woman from Thailand, herself an Olympic Champion, was introduced to a young athlete who then coached him through his successful competition.  She was able to keep him calm and focused on his performance at this high pressured

IOC Member tells remarkable story from YOG weightlifting

Last evening I attended the weightlifting event.  It was the 85kg weight class for young men.  There was a bit of a drama at the beginning because the athlete from Pakistan, Irfan BUTT was not yet properly entered.  There had been some difficulty in finding his coach. As it turned out, the young man did not have a coach with him, or anyone to assist him at the event. Finally, his passport arrived at the venue with one minute to spare so he could be confirmed eligible for competition at the event. As they were waiting for the passport, the International Weightlifting Federation saw that he needed to have a coach with him so that he would be properly managed and led through the competition. Eventually, Thailand offered their Olympic gold medalist to coach him. Miss Pawina Thongsuk, at the same time Athlete Role Model for weightlifting, was happy to undertake the task. Butt finished in the last, 9th place, however, he successfully performed each and every one of his six attempts in competition.  Only a few of the spectators at the venue learned of this remarkable story. I feel both elated and fortunate to have been one of the few who knew what had happened as the tournament began.  It was a beautiful moment to experience as a woman from Thailand, herself an Olympic Champion, was introduced to a young athlete who then coached him through his successful competition.  She was able to keep him calm and focused on his performance at this high pressured

Excitement and drama on Day 4 at the YOG prove that the youth is taking it seriously

Singapore - 18 August 2010: In the men's 77kg Russian Artem Okulov even had bad luck as the clock ran down for his second clean and jerk attempt, yet his overall performance displayed explosive power and he won with a very convincing 327kg over silver medallist Chatuphum Chinnawong of Thailand (311kg). Rustem Sybay (KAZ) easily managed to keep his bronze medal winning position against Papua New Guinea's (!) emerging lifter Steven Kari. Another medal contender, Ossama Khattab befell the same fate as his fellow-Egyptian before: he missed 132kg three times in the snatch and could not score in the Games. The women's +63kg category lined up 13 young ladies with bodyweights ranging from 69.21kg to 119.89kg. After the snatch, Thailand's Chitchanok Pulsabsakul was in the lead with her 115kg against Olga Zubova (RUS) whose best snatch was 112kg. In the second act, several lifters took attempts aiming at the lead, however, when Zubova opened with a very easy 135kg, such hopes seemed to fade away, except for PRK lifter Kim Kuk Hyang, who started highest, at 138kg. The tactical game heated up towards the end and when Zubova finished with 251kg, ahead of Pulsabsakul only on bodyweight, emerging Kim saved two attempts to lift 146kg and thus take the Olympic Champion title. Alas, she failed in her dramatic effort and so the Russians could rejoice over victory in the last women's category of the YOG.