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IWF/ITA Anti-Doping Education Seminar: “We are here to protect the athletes’ career”

Athletes and coaches gathered this morning in the competition venue of the IWF World Junior Championships, taking place in Guadalajara (MEX), for the IWF Anti-Doping Education Seminar, organised in partnership with the International Testing Agency (ITA). Lectured by ITA Ambassador Thais Cevada, from Brazil, and a former international-level athlete in Artistic Gymnastics, this initiative is aimed at briefing the lifters and their respective entourage about the anti-doping main regulations and procedures. Around 90 attentive spectators recalled their knowledge of the definition of an anti-doping rule violation, the prohibited substance list, the principle of strict liability, the importance of checking the eventual medicines athletes are taking, the danger of supplements, and the possibilities of reporting any past, present or future violation or suspect behaviour. “This is a fundamental cause for the sport of weightlifting. We are spending around 12 million US dollars each Olympic cycle in the fight against doping. This is a huge investment, which could otherwise be used for the direct benefit of our athletes and of our national federations,” considered Antonio Urso, the IWF Secretary General in his introductory words to the attendants. Antonio Urso, IWF Secretary General “But the necessary change of culture is progressively and successfully taking place. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, we had no positive cases, at the Bogota 2022 World Championships, we had only one, and at the 2023 IWF showcase in Riyadh, all the cases were negative. This proves that our strategy is functioning and producing practical effects,” also declared Mr Urso. “But we must continue being vigilant in this very sensitive topic. For that, I count on your co-operation and support. Working hand in hand with us, the ITA has played an essential role in this merciless fight, and we are very grateful for that!” concluded the IWF Secretary General. Also with a PhD in neurosciences and acting as a DCO (Doping Control Officer) at sports events, Thais Cevada then summarised the practices and procedures in this field. “This is particularly important for this age group. They should be given the priority for this kind of seminar. The earlier they begin their education on this topic, the better it is,” confessed Cevada after the conclusion of the seminar. “Our goal is quite obvious: we are here to protect their career, but also to safeguard their health – as it must be understood that doping has not only effects on the sports results and performances, it profoundly affects the health of the athletes, sometimes in an irreversible way”. Thais Cevada, ITA Ambassador Conducted in both English and Spanish by the Brazilian expert, the level of interaction was quite good and the one-hour seminar was punctuated by relevant questions and comments. Cevada will remain in Guadalajara to animate the IWF/ITA educational booth, located in the competition venue and open until this Sunday. There, athletes and coaches can have the opportunity to get additional information or test their knowledge on interesting quizzes. This is the third seminar held by the IWF in 2023, after similar gatherings at the World Youth Championships in March (in Durres, Albania) and at the World Championships in September (in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia). IWF Communications Photos by Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia

Guadalajara, Day 2: From aircraft mechanic to world champion – a remarkable journey for USA teenager Chhum

An American teenager who trains at 3am after finishing his shift as an aircraft engine mechanic has become a junior world champion, only two years after he introduced himself to weightlifting via YouTube. Gabriel Chhum won decisively at 61kg at the 2023 World Junior Championships in Guadalajara, Mexico. The other winner on day two was Aleksandra Grigoryan from Armenia, who held off the challenge of two impressive Japanese women at 55kg. Gabriel Chhum (USA) “I started weightlifting because I quit football, and I needed to do something competitive to fill that gap,” said Chhum after a career-best 117-145-262 that earned a sweep of golds. “When I started watching videos I realised that there were body weight categories and I didn’t have to worry about how small I was. I fell in love with in and it went from there.” Chhum, from Georgia, bought his own equipment, watched YouTube tutorials for beginners, “and really taught myself in my garage with a jaggedy bar and some steel plates. It was pretty rough”. Several months later he found a coach, Jeremy Warner, and not long later he was in the USA team for the senior World Championships. Warner has been especially impressed by Chhum’s attention to detail and his commitment to hard work. “Once he taught me how to snatch properly it made a big, big difference,” said Chhum, 19. “If I had a message to anybody taking up weightlifting, it would be ‘do what your coach says’ – and if you don’t have a coach, get one.” Despite winning the Pan American junior title at 55kg last year, as well as making the senior World Championships team in Colombia where he finished 10th, Chhum has had to pay his own way much of the time. He is on a USA Weightlifting development stipend, but has to balance his work and sport. Men's 61kg podium “It’s pretty rough trying to figure out the time slots for training and meals. I usually start training after work at three in the morning, get home around six and sleep till 2pm. The hours mess with your sleep schedule. “So far I’ve been able to do both the job and the weightlifting. I don’t really have much of a life apart from that – I spend most of my time resting.” After nearly a year of hard work in the gym, this was Chhum’s first competition since the senior Worlds last December. Next stop, if all goes well, will be the Pan American Championships in February. “My main goal in the long term is working towards going to the Olympics in 2028,” he said. Elsayed Ali, from Egypt, finished second on 111-143-254, and Abraham Rivera from Venezuela was third on 113-135-248. Adolfo Tun Dzib from Mexico, the fourth man in the smallest field of these Championships, took clean and jerk bronze on 141kg. Aleksandra Grigoryan (ARM) Grigoryan held her nerve to win the women’s 55kg with her final lift of 107kg, edging ahead of two Japanese rivals who lacked experience but not talent. Grigoryan had made only two good lifts in finishing seventh at the senior World Championships in Saudi Arabia in September and had to dig deep for victory. She started with two good lifts but was fifth at halfway after missing her third. After failing with her first clean and jerk Grigoryan, 18, was in trouble. But she made the next one at 102kg and successfully went up 5kg to take gold, finishing 81-107-188. Nanasa Kawasaki, whose only previous international appearance was three years ago in the Asian Juniors, was 1kg behind on 84-103-187 and her team-mate Mao Tsutsumi was third on her debut on 83-103-186. Nanasa Kawasaki (JPN) Kawasaki, 20, had a head start in the sport. Her coach is her mother, a World Championships silver medallist in 1990 under her pre-marriage name of Satori Saito. Tsutsumi, 19, went into weightlifting nine years ago after being spotted by a high school coach during a talent ID session, but had never performed at international level before. “I was nervous for my first competition but I felt strong and performed well,” she said. When asked if they had expected to win a medal both women laughed and said, “Yes!” They train together, support each other, and are good friends. Tsutsumi is studying sport science at university in Tokyo and Kawasaki is hoping to join the same course next year. Malgorzata Myjak from Poland, who was third in snatch on 83kg, finished 7kg behind the top three on total. By Brian Oliver Photos by Giorgio

Guadalajara, Day 1: Sensational start by USA teenager – and landmark gold medal for hosts Mexico

While athletes from Mexico and Turkey ended their junior careers in fine style, the American teenager Isabella Rodriguez began hers with a remarkable performance on the opening day of the 2023 World Junior Championships in Guadalajara. José Poox just about timed it right to win the men’s 55kg for the host nation. According to his national federation, it was the first time a Mexican had won a men’s junior world title. José Poox (MEX) Cansu Bektas from Turkey won the first event, the women’s 45kg, and 18-year-old Huang Yi-Chen from Chinese Taipei held off her challengers in an exciting 49kg contest in which the first four finishers were separated by 2kg. Arguably the best effort, however, came from Rodriguez, who finished 1kg behind Huang in the final few minutes of an eight-hour day at the Weightlifting Forum. Until the end of last year Rodriguez, 19, was a track sprinter. She first lifted at a local meet 13 months ago and this was her international debut. Among the first to congratulate her after she made huge gains in the clean and jerk - despite having her second attempt overruled by the jury – was IWF President Mohammed Jalood. “She was seventh in the snatch but you could see she had very good technique, and I told her she could win a medal,” Jalood said. “She reminded me of (Olympic champion) Hidilyn Diaz.” Isabella Rodriguez (USA) Another who saw something special, before Rodriguez ever lifted a barbell, was her coach Spencer Arnold. “She was running as a sprinter at my old school (in Georgia). When I saw her power out of the blocks I knew she could be good as a weightlifter,” Arnold said. “She played basketball but she’s five feet tall, she’s made for weightlifting.” The first person Rodriguez spoke to after her medal-winning debut was her training partner Jourdan Delacruz who, like Canada’s Olympic champion Maude Charron, is also coached by Arnold. “Jourdan helped me with this entire competition prep, and has helped me as long as I’ve been lifting,” said Rodriguez, 19. “She just told me to go out, trust my technique and strength, and here we are. “I was still a track athlete until the end of 2022, the 100-metre dash and 200-metre dash. It took Spencer nearly three years to persuade me to take up weightlifting and I didn’t do it until after my last meet as a sprinter. “Honestly I should have listened to him earlier, I should have taken it up in my sophomore year when I was 15. Now my plan is to be a full-time weightlifter. “Where I’m at right now as far as my training, my environment, the amount of hours I put in, I’m in a good spot. Now my long-term ambition is to make LA 2028." Rodriguez made four good lifts, took clean and jerk gold, and bettered her national-meet numbers across the board, finishing 72-99-171. Huang made 76-96-172, and Nozomi Abe from Japan edged out Kerlys Montilla from Venezuela for third place on total. Huang Yi-Chen (TPE) Montilla won silver in snatch and bronze in clean and jerk but, remarkably, was out of the medals on total because she failed with two clean and jerks and made her 170kg total after Abe. Poox, 20, had won silver and bronze in junior and youth IWF championships, and plenty more medals besides but today was the day he wanted gold above all others. “I’m so happy, so proud. I’ve waited so long for this and now I have won gold in my own country,” said Poox, whose first international competition came just after his 14th birthday in 2017. “I knew it was my last chance in the juniors.” He made all six lifts in his 103-131-234 for a sweep of golds, despite a worrying moment when he came out for his first clean and jerk attempt. “I thought I had a full minute but then somebody shouted (from the audience) and I looked at the clock and saw I had less than 15 seconds.” Poox was still chalking his hands and trying to calm his nerves at the time, and the clock dipped below 10 seconds when he dashed on to the platform and rushed the lift. He took a deep breath, beat the clock and made a good lift.  “I was a bit anxious, but now I’m so happy to be champion,” he said. After 11 straight competitions at the minimum weight of 55kg, Poox is planning to go up to 61kg next year. Kento Kousaka from Japan finished second on 97-130-227 and Andrii Revko from Ukraine, who failed with his final two attempts, was third on 100-120-220. Poox’s team-mate Wilfredo Aleman took bronze in clean and jerk on 121kg. The women's 45kg podium Turkey took gold and bronze in the opening event of the Championships when Bektas and Gamze Altun both made career bests at 45kg in their final competition as juniors. Bektas continued her remarkable run of success with a clear-cut victory on 73-90-163, posting personal bests in snatch and total. In 12 international competitions she has finished on the podium 11 times, winning world and European youth and junior titles, as well as senior continental gold and a senior Worlds bronze this year. “Yes, it was a good way to finish as a junior,” said a happy Bektas. “It was my best total in competition but I’ve done 170 in training.” Bektas is already looking forward to trying for another senior Worlds medal next year, when she expects to move up to 49kg. Her 16-year-old sister Aysu has a promising career too, having won European Under-15 gold and silver medals. Altun, also 20, made a remarkable improvement after sitting in 10th place at halfway. “In the snatch I was so disappointed, but after that I knew I could lift perfectly in clean and jerk,” she said. “With the help of God I got third place.” Altun made 63-91-154, winning clean and jerk gold and improving her career best by 2kg. Second place went to Marta Garcia from Spain, another 20-year-old, who made 71-86-157. Habiba Saad from Egypt took snatch bronze on 69kg. This session featured the two youngest athletes among the 229 entries, Kateryna Malashchuk from Ukraine and Kim Camilleri from Malta, both 15. By Brian Oliver Photos by Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia

IWF/ITA Anti-Doping Seminar & education booth are happening soon in Guadalajara!  

As part of our continuous effort to sensibilise the younger lifters to our anti-doping rules and programmes, the IWF is delighted to be partnering with the International Testing Agency (ITA) at the 2023 IWF World Junior Championships in Guadalajara and deliver an Anti-Doping Education Seminar, taking place on the November 17, at 10am (in the competition venue). An ITA Education Ambassador, Ms Thais Cevada, a former elite athlete in Artistic Gymnastics, will deliver a presentation for all interested about clean sport. All participants will leave with a nice surprise gift! Moreover, an IWF/ITA Information Booth will be available at the venue of the Championships from November 17-19 for all those who would like to take part in interesting anti-doping activities! This is the third initiative of this kind in 2023, after successful educational campaigns at the IWF World Youth Championships in March (Durres, Albania) and at the IWF World Championships in September (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia). Thanks to its fruitful partnership with the ITA, responsible for running all IWF anti-doping activities, our International Federation was recently praised for the immense improvement in this area, on the occasion of the IOC Session in October. This positive evolution was cited as the main argument to reinstate weightlifting in the programme of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. IWF

Guadalajara is on, let the lifters shine!

The 2023 edition of the IWF World Junior Championships is on, after today’s Opening Ceremony, held in the city of Guadalajara, Mexico. While the lifters enter into action this Wednesday, the 44 national delegations (and 229 athletes) present in the capital of the state of Jalisco had the opportunity to enjoy a colourful debut of the event, mixing cultural Mexican elements with acrobatic performances, the flags’ parade and naturally the welcome speeches of the authorities involved in the staging of the competition.   It all started with an outdoor demonstration of “lucha libre”, Mexican’s famous wrestling, where the “fighters” wear a mask and extravagant costumes. Judging by the enthusiastic support from the crowd assisting to these performances, no doubt subsisted on the popularity of “lucha libre” in the country. Among two demonstrations, there was time to honour the three-time weightlifting Olympic champion and Vice-President of the IWF, the great Hellenic champion Pyrros Dimas.   The guests were then invited to sit inside the venue of the Championships, where the ceremony proceeded with some more protocolar moments. The parade of the national flags, whose delegations are taking part in the Championships, was naturally one of the evening’s highlights.   When dignitaries climbed the podium to deliver their speeches, the IWF President Mohammed Jalood was particularly happy to open this event in Guadalajara. “This is the first IWF event after a historical moment for our International Federation – the reinstatement of weightlifting in the Olympic programme, after the recent IOC decision in Mumbai. This is therefore a moment of celebration, a moment to praise the unity and the immense work of the weightlifting family. We saved our Sport, and we must continue working hard. I am extremely happy with the level of participation here in Guadalajara, and I am sure that this competition will be marked by outstanding performances,” Mr Jalood considered.   Recalling his Iraqi origins, the IWF President made an interesting comparison with Mexico. “I was born in Babilon, a place with immense historical importance. Mexico is also a country with a long history and rich past, being one of the oldest civilisations of the American continent. Long life to Mexico and thank you for your wonderful hospitality”.   From the host nation, Ana Guevara, director of CONADE (National Commission for Physical Education and Sport), the equivalent to the Minister of Sport, also expressed her satisfaction with hosting the IWF family in Guadalajara. “These championships will leave an immense legacy and will naturally enormously develop weightlifting in our country. I am sure you’ll leave this city with superb memories and, from the Mexican side, we’ve done and will continue doing our utmost to ensure the success of this event,” considered Guevara, former world champion and Olympic silver medallist in athletics (400m).   The opening ceremony concluded with some acrobatic performances, highlighted by musical and lighting effects, providing a perfect inspiration for great results during the nine-day competition.   This is the second consecutive IWF World Championship in Mexico in two consecutive years after the city of Leon hosted in 2022, the IWF World Youth Championships. The Guadalajara rendezvous will take place from November 15-23, 2023.   On this Day 0 of the competition, the IWF President also led the ITOs Technical Meeting, where the officials appointed to the event were briefed on the running of the operations and were reminded of the importance of their function. “Your role is fundamental is ensuring a fair and smooth competition. I thank you for your commitment to our Sport and for your professionalism and dedicated work during our competitions,” said Mr Jalood. IWF Communications Photos by Giorgio

Guadalajara, Preview: USA’s senior gold medallist Morris aims for more glory at IWF World Junior Championships

Six medallists from this year’s senior IWF World Championships, including one who won gold, are among the 229 final entries for the 2023 World Junior Championships. The competition in Guadalajara, Mexico starts on Wednesday and runs until November 23. Teams from Costa Rica, Panama and Malta arrived early for a week-long training camp funded jointly – along with their competition entries – by the IWF and Olympic Solidarity. Hampton Morris (USA) The senior gold medallist in Guadalajara is Hampton Morris from the United States, who won the youth world title in 2021 and was junior world champion last year at 61kg. Morris, 19, failed to make a total in Riyadh in September after three snatch failures but came out to set a junior world record in winning the clean and jerk. This time Morris has moved up to 67kg, where he will be competing against another of those senior World Championships medallists, the Armenian Gor Sahakyan. Armenia appears to have one of the strongest teams in Guadalajara, alongside Egypt, Turkey, Ukraine and the only two with the maximum entry of 20 athletes, Mexico and the United States. Three of the highest entry totals in the 10 men’s categories are posted by Armenians, and their women have medal chances too. Like Sahakyan, Garik Karapetyan won a medal in Riyadh. Karapetyan holds all three junior world records at 102kg and is aiming to win a third straight junior world title. Garik Karapetyan (ARM) Egypt has contenders in a range of men’s and women’s categories. They include Mahmoud Hosny, a senior bronze medallist in September, in the men’s 96kg and 17-year-old Rahma Ahmed, who has won gold and silver in the past two World Youth Championships, in the women’s 81kg. Cansu Bektas from Turkey, also a medallist in Riyadh, has already won youth and junior world titles and is a strong favourite to win again in the women’s 45kg. Ukraine has several medal hopes, led by Mykyta Rubanovskyi and Volodymyr Marchuk in the men’s 109kg, Olha Ivzhenko in the women’s 64kg and Svitlana Samuliak in the women’s 59kg. Samuliak, twice a European junior champion, began her career as a 14-year-old more than six years ago. Her main rival is likely to be the “newcomer” Eduarda Souza, a Brazilian who moved to Portugal and has excelled in CrossFit. Souza makes her third international weightlifting appearance in three months. The popular Brazilian finished 17th at the senior World Championships on her debut, and eighth at the Pan American Games. In her first junior competition she has the same entry total of 215kg as Samuliak. Other strong contenders from Latin America include Kerlys Montilla, a multiple youth and junior champion from Venezuela, in the women’s 49kg, Kelin Jimenez from Ecuador in the women’s 76kg, and Elizabeth Reyes from Cuba, a silver medallist in last year’s World Juniors, at 87kg. The top hopes for the host nation will be two silver medallists from last year’s world juniors - Mariana Garcia in the women’s 71kg and José Poox in the men’s 55kg. Poox has a very good chance of winning on the first day in Guadalajara, having moved down from 61kg to 55kg, while Naomi Montes could make the podium in the opening session, the women’s 45kg. Two athletes are trying for an age-group "double" in the juniors, having won youth world titles in Albania in March. The 17-year-olds Phattharathida Wongsing from Thailand and Ella Nicholson from the United States lift at 71kg and 76kg respectively, and both look capable of winning medals in Mexico. By Brian