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Phuket, Day 1: Dika Toua rescues hopes of sixth Olympics, Tokyo medallist out of Paris – and three more world records for PRK

Dika Toua from Papua New Guinea kept alive her hopes of setting an Olympic record when she made her final attempt on day one of the IWF World Cup in Phuket, Thailand - the final qualifying opportunity for Paris 2024. Toua, who will be 40 in June, is back on course to become the first weightlifter ever to compete at six Olympic Games. While Toua was delighted, there was disappointment for the Tokyo Olympic medallist Windy Aisah from Indonesia, whose qualifying efforts have been badly hampered by injury. Aisah, one of four athletes in the 49kg C Group who were born after Toua made her Olympic debut 24 years ago, finished short of the 191kg she needed to move into the top 10 of the rankings. Dika Toua (PNG) There were three more world records for DPR Korea in the non-Olympic women’s 45kg. Won Hyon Sim, who had set snatch and total world records last month at the Asian Championships, bettered those two and also claimed the clean and jerk record in making 87-109-196. Toua made her best total since 2019 despite failing with her first two clean and jerks. Her 75-96-171 took her ahead of Rosina Randafiarison from Madagascar, the best placed athlete for the continental qualifying slot in this category who lifts in the B Group on Monday. She said: “When I went out for that last lift I was thinking this is it, you’ve got to do it. I said, ‘God help me.’ It worked.” Toua, whose career started last century and who was the first woman ever to go on the platform at the Olympic Games, competed at Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, London 2012 and in Tokyo three years ago. “It’s been a great journey but it’s not finished yet, whatever happens for Paris,” she said. “I’m going to Fiji in September for the Commonwealth Championships, and Fiji has the World Masters straight afterwards so I might as well try that too. “Then I want to be at the Pacific Mini Games in Palau next year. I can’t stop. Weightlifting is my life.” Toua leaves Phuket on Wednesday, arrives home on Friday and will immediately head to Goroka in the Eastern Highlands to lift on Saturday in the Papua New Guinea national championships. If Toua is overtaken by Randafiarison or the Australian Brenna Kean on Monday, she still has a chance of going to Paris via a universality place. These six “wild card” invitations from the International Olympic Committee go to nations who do not qualify many athletes, in all sports, for the Olympic Games. Toua is among the 32 weightlifting applicants from 28 countries. “I have faith that I will be in Paris,” Toua said. Kean has been through a brutal weight cut to lift at 49kg for the first time. She is ranked behind team-mate Kiana Elliott at 59kg, and weighed in at 63.25kg last November when she competed at 64kg in the Oceania Championships. Aisah is young enough, at 21, to try for Los Angeles 2028. She had injuries to both legs during qualifying and a persistent lower back problem that needs surgery, she said before the World Cup. She was able to make only five good clean and jerks in her five qualifying competitions. In 2021 and 2022 Aisah won two junior world titles and a bronze medal in Tokyo. She holds all three youth world records at 49kg. Thammy Nguyen (IRL) A few minutes before Toua’s success, Thammy Nguyen, Ireland’s best ever female lifter, made her farewell from the platform. She is looking forward to spending more time with her two young children. Nguyen retired after making 70-96-166. Her career was interrupted by motherhood, after which she became Ireland’s first female medallist at the European Championships. She was also the first woman from Ireland to lift at the IWF World Championships. “I’ve wanted to give up every day since Qatar,” said Nguyen, referring to the Grand Prix in December when she realised she would never be able to make the 190kg or more needed to qualify for Paris. “I’m happy about leaving. I won those medals that I hope will encourage younger lifters in Ireland, and now I’ll have family time that I haven’t had for three years. “I know I’m retiring as an athlete, but who knows about the future? Maybe I’ll be involved again after a few years, maybe my kids will take up weightlifting.” Won Hyon Sim (PRK) In the 45kg, Won made six from six and set world records with her third, fifth and sixth attempts. Won, who will be 22 on Tuesday, has made 11 good lifts in 12 attempts and set five world records in her only two senior competitions. She and her team-mates cannot go to Paris because PRK entered the qualifying programme too late. Siriwimon Pramongkhol from Thailand made five good lifts in a row after failing with her first snatch to finish second on 75-101-176. Khong My Phuong from Vietnam was third on 76-84-160. By Brian Oliver Photos by Giorgio

IWF Congress approves the first-ever IWF anthem

“An anthem should reflect an identity. This is normally the case with a country, as we are used to national anthems. But it should also happen with all types of organisations, namely in the sports world. That is what I tried to apply for the IWF”. Antonio Urso, the International Weightlifting Federation General Secretary, was obviously happy today, after the IWF Congress approved the melody of the first-ever IWF anthem. His melody, as Urso is also a musician and is the author of the music that will from now on represent the IWF at all protocolar moments.  Antonio Urso, IWF General Secretary - Photo by Giorgio Scala/Deepblumedia “I wanted something joyful, something that could represent the happy moments in our beloved sport, the satisfaction of a good performance, the importance of being together, of competing in a spirit of fair-play and camaraderie, of enjoying each and every moment we lift a bar. I had to ‘condense’ that in a 1m30s melody that would resonate in a nice harmony for all those listening to the IWF anthem,” adds the IWF General Secretary. “I am too biased to say it, but I believe everyone in the weightlifting family will like our anthem,” he continues. THE IWF ANTHEM [audio mp3="https://iwf.sport/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IWF-ANTHEM.mp3"][/audio]  “It all started last November, when we were in Guadalajara for the IWF World Junior Championships. After listening to the Mexican anthem at the opening ceremony, our IWF Communications manager approached me and said: ‘We need an IWF anthem. You could be the person doing it’. I immediately liked the concept and many ideas started to flow in my head. But, one day in December, the melody came naturally. In no more than 30 minutes, I had it written down,” Urso admits. “Uniting two of my biggest passions in life, weightlifting and music, in this project was obviously a very exciting mission. I take it also as a kind of legacy to the sport that gave me so much,” the IWF General Secretary confesses.    If the melody was relatively easy to find, subsequent work was then needed to make the necessary musical arrangements and find the appropriate instruments to play the anthem. This task was given to Aidan Zammit, a renowned Maltese musician (living in Italy since 1995), who has worked with many national and international artists.   “When Antonio gave me the written melody, the first thing I did was to work out a reharmonised sketch at the piano. I immediately knew what kind of atmosphere and sound I wanted. I needed a combination of positivity, power, and triumph. I decided to take a cinematic approach, inspired by the soundtracks of great action movies, combining traditional orchestration with contemporary electronic elements. The anthem was created initially using virtual instruments and synthesisers in my personal studio. After that, we added a number of real instruments and mixed the recording at Studio 8 in Rome, with the contribution of sound engineer Pino Iodice” Zammit recalls. “I would say that the combination of the orchestra and the electronic sounds brings out the best of both worlds and hope that the result will appeal to different generations of listeners,” he explains.  Aidan Zammit Asked about the ideal characteristics of such a short musical piece, but with such institutional importance, Zammit is clear: “The melody is obviously the most important element, and Antonio Urso did a great job with that. You need an aura of positivity and adventure with a dose of reality. In such a short time it is important to make things very clear, at the same time keeping everything as interesting and exciting as possible. It is like a very fast trip that quickly takes you through different emotions”.   Zammit’s Maltese roots played an important role in finding the right tone and sonority. “I also grew up on an island where local church brass bands play a big part in social life, so at the back of my mind I always had the sound of the bands playing marches in the streets. They weren’t usually in tune, but they conveyed an air of happiness and power, and were very captivating”.   After writing some music for documentaries about sports, this was the first time Zammit was involved in the creation of an anthem. “It was great fun, and definitely different from other projects I work on. Each situation in my line of work has very different requirements, and you need to take a new approach to almost every job. That’s one of the things I love about making music. Never a dull moment! I don’t know much about weightlifting, but I will be following it now that I have been introduced to this sport,” he concludes.  Other highlights The Congress also ratified the IWF 2023 Audited Financial Report and the ones received from the various IWF committees: Technical, Medical, Coaching and Research, and Athletes. As with the Executive Board meeting on Friday, an update was also given on the Paris 2024 Games, the Olympic qualification system, and the IWF Refugee Team and Sustainability projects.  Photo by Giorgio Scalat/Deepbluemedia The IWF gathering also was the occasion to be briefed on the preparation status of upcoming IWF events, namely: the 2024 IWF World Youth Championships in Lima (PER), the 2024 IWF World Junior Championships in Leon (ESP), the 2024 IWF World Championships in Manama (BRN) and the 2025 IWF World Championships in Forde (NOR). Moreover, the recently-awarded 2026 IWF World Youth Championships in Buenos Aires (ARG) and 2027 IWF World Championships in Yerevan (ARM) were also introduced to the delegates by the respective Organising Committees.  IWF President Mohammed Jalood chairing the Congress - Photo by Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia After the presentations from the IWF licensed barbell companies (Eleiko, Uesaka, and ZKC), and from the most recent IWF sponsor (SBD), the delegates approved the status of Associate Member for the Federation of Faroe Islands (FRO).   By Pedro Adrega, IWF

IWF allocates its World Championships in 2027 to Armenia and in 2028 to Venezuela

Yerevan and Caracas (subject to WADA confirmation) will be the respective hosts of the 2027 and 2028 editions of the IWF World Championships, after the decision of the IWF Executive Board (EB), meeting today in Phuket (THA). The Armenian capital successfully hosted the 2023 European Championships, while the Venezuelan metropolis staged the recent Pan-American showcase. In addition to the two senior competitions, the EB also awarded the organisation of the 2026 IWF World Youth Championships to Buenos Aires, in Argentina. “We had two very interesting and professional candidates for our World Championships, so we naturally opted for this double award. This also brings further stability to our calendar and allows more time to prepare and successfully deliver two great competitions. After Ningbo, in China, we travel to Europe in 2027 and to Americas in 2028 – three successive World Championships in three different continents,” underlined the IWF President Mohammed Jalood after the vote of the IWF Executive Board. The IWF Executive Board in Phuket If the allocation of the IWF showcase was the highlight of the meeting, other important topics were discussed, namely: The approval of the first-ever IWF anthem (to be ratified by the IWF Congress, taking place this Saturday); The approval of the IWF Technical Committee’s proposal to reduce from 10 to eight the bodyweight categories for both men and women; The approval of the audited 2023 IWF Financial Report; The acknowledgment of an updated report on the final preparation for the 2024 Olympic Games, presented by Jacqueline White, Weightlifting Sport Manager of the competition. The EB was informed that “everything is perfectly on track” for a smooth running of the event in the French capital; The presentation of updated reports on the IWF Anti-Doping Programme, IWF Refugee Team, and the IWF Sustainability Project. Partnership with SBDThe EB also ratified the partnership with British company SBD. Based in Sheffield, and specialised in the design and manufacture of apparel products for strength sports, SBD will be in Phuket during the IWF World Cup (starting on March 31), distributing free knee sleeves and T-shirts to participants in the event. A dedicated booth will be available in the training area of the competition in order to interact with athletes and coaches, and to further promote SBD products. Present already in 50 countries, the company is also sponsoring 20 powerlifting national teams around the globe. “We are delighted to have recently entered into a partnership with the IWF and to have a presence at the IWF World Cup, ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. We look forward to developing a collaborative long term relationship with the IWF to support the continued growth of weightlifting. We also wish the very best of luck to all athletes competing over the next few days,” considered Benjamin Banks, CEO of SBD. The IWF Athletes Commission representatives at the IWF Executive Board: Forrester Osei, Hidilyn Diaz and Luisa Peters The IWF World Cup will be staged from March 31 to April 11 in Phuket (THA) and constitutes the last qualifying event leading to the Paris 2024 Olympics. Moreover, it is also the second mandatory competition (after the 2023 IWF World Championships) for all those aspiring at being in the French capital this summer. IWF Communications Photos by Giorgio

Phuket preview: Olympic champions among dozens desperate to take last chance for Paris

Hundreds of weightlifters from around the world will be going all-out in Thailand over the next two weeks as they make one final attempt to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. At the end of the IWF World Cup in Phuket, about three-quarters of the 466 entries will head home in disappointment, some to plan ahead for the 2028 Games, others to retire. Olympic champions and world record holders are likely to be among those who do not qualify. Four gold medallists from the Tokyo Games are not currently ranked high enough, which means the top 10 in their weight category. Three are from China, sitting behind a team-mate in the rankings – Hou Zhihui, Wang Zhouyu and Chen Lijun. Neisi Dajomes is in a similar position, needing more kilos to overtake the Tokyo silver medallist Tamara Salazar, her Ecuador team-mate. A fifth Olympic champion, Hidilyn Diaz from the Philippines, could drop out of the 59kg top 10 if she has a bad day in Thailand. “I expect to be not just 100 per cent, maybe 110 per cent or more,” Diaz said as she looked ahead to the World Cup. Hidilyn Diaz (PHI) Besides these five, at least 10 silver and bronze medallists from Tokyo have a lot of work to do, including Julio Mayora from Venezuela and Mirko Zanni from Italy. While injuries and loss of form are factors, the cut in quota places from 196 in Tokyo to 120 Paris, and in weight categories from 14 to 10, is the main reason why so many of the sport’s big names face such a challenge in Phuket. “It’s going to be brutal in Thailand,” was the most popular prediction from athletes, coaches and federation officials during the penultimate round of qualifying, the 2024 continental championships held throughout February. They all agree that the World Cup will be like no other international competition as everyone aims for career-high numbers and a better ranking position. A good example of how “brutal” it will be comes in the first two Olympic weight categories at the World Cup. Julio Mayora (VEN) In the men’s 61kg only the top three in the simplified ranking list – one athlete per nation – have totalled 300kg or more. The entire A Group of 14 lifters in Phuket, including two each from China, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia, have entries of at least 300kg. One of them, Seyitjan Mirzayev from Turkmenistan, needs to improve his best ranking effort by 23kg to match his entry. All five athletes placed ninth to 13th go in the ultra-competitive B Group - Ivan Dimov from Bulgaria, Trinh Van Vin from Vietnam, Arley Calderon from Cuba, Simon Brandhuber from Germany and Shin Rok from Korea. That should be a session worth watching, not least because it will add more spice to the A Group. In the women’s 49kg only the top four in the rankings have hit the 200kg mark, yet twice as many have entered on 200kg or more. Chiaki Ajira from Japan, 23rd in the long list (two or more per nation), has never bettered 182kg. Good luck. Every day of competition in Phuket, from March 31 until April 11, will be highly competitive. Some sessions will be unmissable. Li Dayin (CHN) China decided not to send a team to the Asian Championships in Uzbekistan in February, preferring to focus on the World Cup. Double Olympic champion Shi Zhiyong’s contest against Rahmat Erwin, the multiple world record holder from Indonesia, at 73kg will be one of the highlights. Li Dayin from China and Karlos Nasar from Bulgaria are separated by 1kg at the top of the 89kg rankings. The presence of Keydomar Vallenilla from Venezuela, Yeison Lopez from Colombia, Mir Mostafa from Iran and Nino Pizzolato from Italy adds to the allure of what could be the most exciting competition of all. Or it might be the 102kg A Group. The 96kg Olympic champion Meso Hassona is up against Liu Huanhua from China, 96kg snatch world record holder Lesman Paredes from Bahrain, Jang Yeonhak from Korea, Yauheni Tsikhantsou from Belarus, competing as an Individual Neutral Athlete, and two closely matched Armenians, Samvel Gasparyan and Garik Karapetyan. All of them could go higher than 400kg. In this category no athlete has ever made the world standards, set in 2018, of 191-231-412. Perhaps a world record holder will emerge in Phuket. China is expected to dominate the women’s events, although DPR Korea will no doubt provide strong opposition even if its athletes are ineligible for Paris, having entered the qualifying programme too late. Olivia Reeves (USA) The rankings leaders in all five women’s weight categories are Chinese. Olivia Reeves, the improving 20-year-old from the United States, will be aiming to close the 11kg gap behind Liao Guifang at 71kg. There are many questions to be answered in Phuket. Will super-heavyweight Lasha Talakhadze be fit enough to compete after sitting out the Qatar Grand Prix? Will Italy have two athletes in Paris, or if they avoid bombouts might it be as many as six? Will Mexico have none, or three? Will any from France make the top 10? Will those Individual Neutral Athletes from Belarus state their claim as medal contenders in Paris? Who might scare off China in the women’s categories? The final ranking lists will be published soon after the competition ends on April 11. The top 10 in the 10 Olympic weight categories are eligible for Paris. Nations who qualify more than the maximum three men and three women will have to notify the IWF of their selections by May 6. If China or the United States, for example, decline a place in any weight category because they have better medal chances elsewhere, a lucky athlete placed 11th will move into the top 10. There will still be hope for some athletes lower down the lists, because 10 places are allocated to continental qualifiers, six to universality invitations, and a maximum of four for France as host nation. The complete rules and deadlines are available here. It will be brutal, there will be bombouts, but the IWF World Cup is a competition not to be missed. By Brian Oliver Photos by Giorgio

Sustainability: start of a successful journey for IWF

Following the launch of the IWF Sustainability Programme in 2023, the IWF Executive Board member in charge of this project Florian Sperl and the IWF CEO Achilleas Tsogas met recently in Lausanne (SUI) with the representatives of Sporting Giants, our International Federation’s partner in charge of conceiving a Sustainability Strategy, to be presented and implemented from October 2025 onwards.   This process has included so far a thorough assessment of the situation in terms of the IWF sustainability actions (or lack of them), and will proceed with extensive consultation with all stakeholders of the weightlifting community. This approach will allow the elevation of successful case studies already in place on a local or national level, and will also establish the priorities of the Sport family in this field. From left to right: Dan Reading (Sporting Giants), Achilleas Tsogas (IWF CEO), Florian Sperl (IWF EB member), Scott Over (Sporting Giants) and Timea Horvath (IWF Development and Education Manager) During the two-day rendezvous in Lausanne, there was also time for a meeting with IUCN (the International Union for the Conservation of Nature), an organisation with whom the IWF signed an agreement, under “The Sports for Nature Framework”. Four principles guide this protocol, namely: 1. Protect nature and avoid damage to natural habitats and species; 2. Restore and regenerate nature wherever possible; 3. Understand and reduce risks to nature in your supply chains; and 4. Educate and inspire positive action for nature across and beyond sport. The main goal of those actions is, according to the agreement, “to deliver transformative, nature positive action across sports by 2030 and beyond, enabling sports to champion nature and contribute to its protection and restoration”.   Moreover, sustainability efforts are also encouraged by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and by IOC’s Sustainability Strategy. Finally, it is one of the seven fundamental values identified in the global IWF Strategic Plan, adopted in September 2023. Meeting with IUCN representatives Florian Sperl, IWF EB member in charge of the project, spoke of an exciting new path of development for our International Federation: “As a global and influential industry, Sport should also play its part in this important mission. Our ultimate goal is to contribute to a happier and healthier world: sustainable principles also share this philosophy, so this synergy is of course very complementary. We needed an external partner to guide us at this stage, but in the end the effort must be implemented by each and every one of our weightlifting members”.    The IWF CEO Achilleas Tsogas also underlined the importance of this programme: “We need to make sure that all these nice concepts and intentions will be part of the IWF action in the years to come. ‘Sustainability’ is a wide concept, so there is a lot of room for our International Federation to take some decisive steps in this area. We have already an idea of where we are at the moment, but we definitively need a roadmap to help our National Federations, organisers of IWF events, and all those involved with weightlifting to successfully initiate this journey,” Mr Tsogas said. IWF

Hail Australia’s new Olympic Amazon

Behind Eileen Cikamatana’s killer smile and impressive muscles is a humble determination to triumph for her adopted country and family at the Paris Olympics. The dual Commonwealth Games champion and the first woman to win Commonwealth gold for two countries, will compete in the 81kg weightlifting category at her first Olympics.  “Going to Paris will be out of this world,” the 24-year-old Fijian/Australian said. “No one would ever dream how far I have come, especially considering how naughty and tricky I was growing up. Yeah, I still am.  “The Olympics are my dream. So much sweat and tears in the gym. The medals are what we are training for. My hopes are high.” Photo by Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia Cikamatana has literally come a long way since she was a kid growing up in the village of Levuka on the Fijian island of Ovalau, 65km north east across the Pacific from Suva. She started weightlifting at the behest of a teacher who believed that the kid who comfortably carted bags of pig feed on her Dad’s farm could grow up strong enough to lift an adult pig – over her head. Aged just 15 Cikamatana left her “fruit salad family” and simple village life to become a full-time athlete at the Oceania Weightlifting Institute in New Caledonia.  “My Mum Maria is half-Fijian and half-Welsh while Dad Sevanaia (Junior) is half-Fijian and half-Chinese,” she said. “My humble beginnings keep me centered. How I was brought up by my parents has got me to where I am today. They are my Superheroes. Photo by Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia “I saw how they struggled when I was growing up. No matter how hard life was they never gave up on providing us with what we needed. I want to make them proud and to be the reason for their smiles.” Success and smiles came quickly after moving to Noumea, New Caledonia under the guidance of Australian weightlifting royalty Paul and Lilly Coffa – who she calls “the dynamic duo”.  “They saw the potential in me and they have taken me to a higher level,” she said.  Competing for Fiji as an 18-year-old, Cikamatana won gold in the 90kg category at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. But just one year later Cikamatana was faced with another huge decision. The Fijian Weightlifting Federation brought in a new coach who insisted she relocate from her New Caledonia training base back to Fiji. She refused, knowing her future was with Coach Coffa who famously trained the future President of Nauru Marcus Stephen to win Nauru’s first gold medal in any sport at the 1994 Victoria Commonwealth Games in Canada. Stephen describes Coffa as “the father figure of weightlifting in the Pacific region”, adding “don’t forget, Lilly is everything to us as well.” Before moving to Nauru in 1994 Coffa was Australia’s national coach for 15 years, including at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics where tuna fisherman Dean Lukin won gold and team mate Robert Kabbas won silver.  Paul is also one half of the famous weightlifting Coffa brothers who migrated from Sicily to Australia as teenagers. Paul’s older sibling Sam Coffa, the former Hawthorn Mayor, has been the Australian Weightlifting Federation president since 2018 following his earlier 1983-2007 term, plus he was Commonwealth Games Australia president from 1999-2018.   Photo by Louise Evans Cikamatana’s determined decision to stick with younger brother Paul as her coach triggered another seismic shift in her young life. She farewelled her country of birth and in 2019 became an Australian. Then a year later she relocated again, with Coffa and the Oceania Institute to Melbourne in the middle of the Covid pandemic. Again success followed quickly with Cikamatana winning her second Commonwealth Games gold, this time for Australia in Birmingham in 2022, breaking three Commonwealth Games records in the 87kg class. Cikamatana says she’s now physically and mentally stronger than that “little village girl” who starred in Birmingham. She also boasts improved competition personal bests of 115kg in the snatch and in the clean and jerk she’s lifted 146kg, which is the weight of a piano, a panda or a big adult pig on her dad’s farm. Come Paris she’ll be competing in the 81kg category which she states as her natural body weight.  “My biggest competition in Paris will be myself,” she said. “You can be your own worst enemy so I am focused on being a better athlete and a better competitor every time I am on stage.”  Since she was 15 Eileen Cikamatana has forged her own path, moving countries twice and changing nationalities to become a proud wearer of the green and gold. “I don’t pay attention to other competitors. I look at the weights and the numbers. Then you lift a big weight over your head, the feeling is indescribable. “I love what I do and it loves me back. My sport challenges me to break my barriers every day. ”I’m looking forward to competing for Australia, for my coach and my family and to make everyone smile.” By Louise Evans This article was originally published here: Hail Australia’s new Olympic Amazon - Sportshounds