News

Do not miss this party!

On 14 August 2009, the Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee will be organising a One Year Countdown event to commemorate 365 days to the first Youth Olympic Games. Join in the countdown to the inaugural Youth Olympic Games.Event details:Date: Friday, 14 August 2009 - Time: 5pm to 9pmVenue: The Padang, Connaught DriveCount down to Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games at the Padang, Singapore:Unveiling of Countdown Clock· The countdown clock for the first YOG in Olympic history, sponsored by Omega, will be unveiledOne-Year Countdown at 8.10pm· A spectacular display of lights, sound and action as the countdown takes placeCommemorate Olympic Day· Celebrate this historic milestone for the Olympic Movement by cheering the runners in the Olympic day run which ends at the Padang Youth Olympic Games Carnival· Join our youth talents, Olympians, sports personalities and local celebrities in sporting fun and celebrations at the Padang YOG Celebration Concert and Party The Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games, from 14 to 26 August 2010, will receive some 5,000 athletes and officials from 205 National Olympic Committees (NOCs), along with estimated 800 media representatives, 20,000 local and international volunteers, and more than 500,000 spectators. Athletes - aged between 14 and 18 years - will compete in 26 sports and take part in a Culture and Education Programme. The Youth Olympic Games (YOG) is a new initiative by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to engage the youth of the world through the twin pillars ofsports, and culture and education. It is a new highlight on the world's sporting calendar and Singapore is the first host city. You may visit website at www.singapore2010.sg.

Technical Officials to be nominated for 2009 Goyang WWC

National Federations may propose Technical Officials to work at the 2009 Goyang World Championships (19-29 November), to be held in Goyang City, Korea. The IWF's Calling Letter tells about the conditions of the nomination. The Nomination Form is downloadable. Deadline: 19 August

Latest of the Contreras case

Dominican weightlifter Yuderqui Contreras has cleared her name after the International Olympic Committee announced that Contreras' B sample came up as negative during tests in Paris. Contreras' A sample, taken shortly after the 2008 Beijing Olympics tested positive for the performance enhancing drug CERA. There had also been much controversy and suspicion surrounding Contreras because the weightlifter trained in Bulgaria under coach Constantin Darov, but the Bulgarian national team didn't compete in weightlifting events because of a doping scandal. A negative result on her B sample clears any doubts about Contreras and ends months of embarrassment and accusations of cheating. "I can't express my joy after I received the call from journalist Dionisio Soldevilla to tell me about the medical commission's decision." Contreras has always maintained her innocence and said she was confident she would be exonerated. She said she was not interested in winning a medal using banned substances. Yuderqui Contreras came fifth in the 53kg category in the Beijing Olympics. ........................................................ IOC Legal Department informed the IWF, the Dominican Olympic Committee as well as the athlete (Ms. Yudelquis Maridalin CONTRERAS) that under the current circumstamces - B sample analyses report did not confirm the A sample CERA positive - the scheduled hearing has been cancelled. The formal decision from the IOC will follow in due time. ........................................................... Examinations of the b-sample have confirmed that cyclists Stefan Schumacher and Davide Rebellin, as well as 1,500 metres Olympic champion Rashid Ramzi and two other athletes, have tested positive for the latest generation of the blood booster EPO. (FAZ), The German was caught for using CERA at retests of Tour de France 2008 samples and of those retested by the International Olympic Committee from the Beijing Olympics. Italy's Rebellin, the Bahrain runner Ramzi, Greek walker Athanasia Tsoumeleka and Croatian 800m runner Vanja Perisic were also caught in the IOC retests, with the b-sample confirming the original finding, according to the German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. The former world champion Ramzi won 1,500m gold in Beijing while Rebellin got a cycling silver in China. The other three did not get medal, but Schumacher won both time trials at the 2008 Tour before being disqualified. Weightlifter Yudelquis Contreras of the Dominican Republic also submitted a positive a-sample, but the b-test was announced to be negative. The athlete was cleared. The IOC keeps drug samples for eight years and they are subject to retests when new test methods are introduced. The tests for CERA were made available after the Olympics last August. (Earth Times)further details: http://www.olympic.org/uk/includes/common/article_print_uk.asp?id=3009

European Junior Championships, Landskrona preview

European Junior Championships, Landskrona In his last article the President of Swedish Weightlifting Federation, Benny Johansson, expresses his thought about forthcoming European Junior Championships in Landskrona. The organizer plan for 180 - 190 athletes from 30 - 35 countries, and all together about 350 people which are involved in the competition during the last week of July. In 2006 the Swedish WF organized European Youth Championships This year the organizer has to prepare and accomplish a congress as well. Mr Johansson describes the purpose of organizing an international championship of this size in five paragraphs: · Publicity for weightlifting in Sweden .· Economy: The federation hopes to make revenue by organizing this championship.· Recruiting new lifters.· Competence.· Experience: Importance to give our lifters and technical officials a chance to participate at an international championship. Håkan JohansonGeneral Secretary

USA Weightlifting CEO Chosen

The Board of Directors announced that Rick Adams has accepted the position of Chief Executive Officer of USA Weightlifting. Rick worked his way through law school as a decorated police officer. He chose law school as a means for getting a business background and immediately after graduating law school put his degree and experience as a hockey player to work when he joined the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL). He became its President and CEO (really the Commissioner). In that position, he negotiated the league's first broadcast agreement with ESPN and devised novel ways to obtain national media coverage in publications such as Sports Illustrated, USA Today and the Wall Street Journal (e.g., they had a female goalie who attracted much media attention, rule changes such as a fluorescent puck and smaller team sizes to increase action on the ice). Rick also pioneered many marketing concepts that increased league revenues, enhancing the marketing of the all-star game, securing new sponsorships and finding numerous ways to leverage the ECHL brand. He combined vendor and sponsorship packages to increase their appeal and improve the leagues bargaining power. Ultimately, he initiated and managed a major merger with a west coast league, which required securing the approval of approximately 40 individual owners, all of whom were independent and many of whom had no interest in losing any power in a larger league. But Rick prevailed and the result was a much stronger national league. When he moved to RBC Sports, Rick and his partners owned 4 of the ECHL teams he had previously overseen as the Commissioner. In his capacity as President of RBC, he focused on the day to day tasks of increasing revenues through innovative marketing programs, and reducing operating expenses. He managed a staff of 100 and coordinated the activities of volunteers who performed many support functions for these minor league teams. By the time he sold his interests in these teams, their market value had increased threefold. Rick is a splendid negotiator with a huge network of relationships in the sports world. He has repeatedly demonstrated the ability to conceive and carry out innovative marketing programs and manage operations to reduce costs. He is very politically savvy and well experienced in successfully managing constituents with diverse interests and motivations. Rick is looking forward to helping USA Weightlifting reach new heights. Rick is looking for a new challenge in the arena he is most comfortable with - sports marketing and management.

New web site for Lithuanian WF

Lithuanian Weightlifting Federation has launched its new website. The website address is