News

Three days more for Verification of Final Entries for Riyadh 2023!

IWF Member Federations entered for the 2023 IWF World Championships have until this Monday, August 21, at 12h00 (noon) CET to proceed to the verification of their final entries, submitted by July 4, 2023. In this last step before the participation of their teams in Riyadh (KSA), National Member Federations may confirm or delete the participation of their athletes, but they can also choose the option “Only Weigh-in”. This possibility was introduced to ensure that the list of athletes announced after the verification of final entries corresponds to the number of lifters effectively competing in A sessions. This relates with the importance of the IWF World Championships and the associated TV exposure and visibility of those sessions. The idea is to minimise the eventual time differences between what is programmed and scheduled for TV purposes and what is the real duration of each A session. After the August 21 deadline for verification of final entries, no further changes can be made to the data submitted by the IWF Member Federations. This procedure can be made through the IWF E-Entry System (link

Improving the level in Myanmar

The Myanmar Weightlifting Federation (MWF) recently organised, with the support of the IWF and Olympic Solidarity, a five-day course for national coaches and ITO’s, at the Multi-Purpose Hall in Nay Pyi Taw. More than 20 officials were able to get updated on technical relevant information concerning weightlifting, in a course lectured by Ms Aphinya Dattuyawat, from Thailand, former Asian champion and Olympian. He was assisted by Mr Myo Min (MYA), MWF Deputy Secretary General, Mr Htet Wai (MYA), Deputy Director for the Sports and Physical Education department in charge of Myanmar Anti-Doping Agency, and by Ms Ei Ei Mon (MYA), Assistant Director for Sports and Physical Education and International Relations of the Myanmar National Olympic Committee.   After an Opening Ceremony led by the President of the Myanmar NOC, Mr U Min Thein Zan, all participants took part in theoretical and practical sessions, focusing on several areas: safety, basic training, competition readiness, event rules and regulations, refereeing, video playback technology, psychology and anti-doping education.   According to the MWF, the course – held from August 7-11 – was a “complete success” and was well received by all coaches and officials. The workshop sessions, where the level of exchange of information and experience was higher, were particularly appreciated. Finally, all participants were able to pass with distinction (with an average of over 90%) the theory exam at the end of the course.     “The MWF would like to thank the IWF, the IOC Olympic Solidarity, the Myanmar Olympic Committee, and the Thai Weightlifting Federation for their valuable support in developing a new generation of coaches and officials in our country, thus creating better conditions for the lifters in the

IWF at the Paris 2024 Weightlifting Operational Test Event

Paris 2024 Weightlifting Operational Test Event was held at the South Paris Arena 6 on Saturday 12 August 2023. Comprising of men’s +102kg and women’s 71kg, twenty-five (25) French lifters in total competed across the two bodyweight categories. The event was hailed as a success as the Organising Committee was able to successfully validate planning objectives such as testing the venue transition, field of play, warm up area, sport equipment, national technical officials, sport specific volunteers, and timing, scoring and results. Matthew Curtain, IWF Executive Board Member and IF Delegate, as well as Moira Lassen, IF Delegate said they were very pleased to see things run smoothly.  The competition also gave all weightlifters and officials the chance to experience being associated within the dynamics of an Olympic environment and so it was certainly a great event for everyone involved. IWF President Mohammed Jalood, IWF Executive Board Member and Technical Committee Chair Sam Coffa, IWF Executive Board Member and Medical Committee Chair Faithi Masmoudi, IWF Executive Board Member Boukar Tikire and FFHM President Michel Raynaud were

Executive Board takes important decisions for the IWF’s future

The IWF Executive Board met today (online) and approved important decisions concerning its future, namely the appointment of an Interim CEO, a new “IWF Human Rights and Non-Discrimination Policy”, a Commission to examine the applications of athletes requesting an exemption related to the Olympic Qualification for Paris 2024 and the validation of the AIN delegation for the upcoming IWF World Championships, taking place from September 4-17 in Riyadh (KSA).   In accordance with the IWF Constitution, and respecting the good governance principles, Pedro Adrega, presently the IWF Communications and Marketing Manager was appointed as the new interim CEO of the International Weightlifting Federation, until a definitive CEO can be appointed. After spending 22 years at FINA – the International Swimming Federation, now named World Aquatics -, Mr Adrega has given new dynamics to the communication strategy within the IWF and is namely chairing the working group in charge of establishing the 2024-2032 IWF Strategic Plan.   On the athletes’ side, and after having approved in recent months an “Athlete Gender Identity Policy” and appointed a Safeguarding and Integrity Officer, the IWF validated today a “Human Rights and Non-Discriminatory Policy”, which applies to all participants involved in our International Federation operations. These guidelines are to be followed by all IWF entities, but also by its commercial partners, service providers, and organisers of the IWF events. The final document was largely inspired by the IOC policy on this important matter.   Related to the Olympic qualification for Paris 2024, the IWF voted positively on the guidelines for a Commission in charge of examining the athletes’ request for an exemption related to the qualification process. According to the IWF/IOC Qualification System for the weightlifting competitions at the Olympics, a mandatory presence in some events is part of the procedure. Also in accordance with those Rules, athletes may apply for an exemption, under exceptional circumstances. The mission of the new independent Commission is to analyse and decide on those requests.    Finally, the IWF EB also approved the AIN delegation that will be present at the IWF World Championships. It includes 12 athletes, seven support personnel, and one technical official – all of them have a passport from

Successful urban weightlifting event at the EYOF in Maribor (SLO)

Following the second edition of the “Swiss Street Weightlifting”, held in early July in the Olympic capital Lausanne (SUI), the urban version of the sport was again in evidence at the start of the European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF), running from July 23-29 in the historical Slovenian city of Maribor. Besides the 11 official sports on the programme, weightlifting made a very successful demonstration event, gathering 16 athletes from seven nations, in a mixed-gender international team and individual competition format. Each team was composed from one boy and one girl from different countries. This initiative generated a lot of success and enthusiasm among the participants and certainly constitutes and important step forward in the implementation of new popular events within the weightlifting programme. Speaking to Inside the Games, Antonio Conflitti, President of the European Weightlifting Federation and IWF Executive Board member, was a happy man with the event: “People would say they could just stop by and watch for five minutes, but they ended up staying for one and a half hours and they really enjoyed it. We told the athletes, ‘we are writing a new chapter of weightlifting history and you are the protagonists - enjoy the moment'. They did that, and some of them said they were so relaxed in the environment they had better results than at the European Youth Championships in Moldova two weeks ago.” The IWF’s Vice-President Attila Adamfi was also in Maribor and praised the organisation of this urban weightlifting demonstration: “Since the IWF organised the first international Street Weightlifting event in Lausanne, in 2022, more and more such events are held around the world. Recently, Lausanne organised the second edition already, a demonstration was held in June in Havana, Cuba, and now this superb event in Slovenia. Jamaica and the European Weightlifting Federation in Olympia (GRE) are also planning to host urban weightlifting events where our sport is delivered to the spectators in a new format.” Both IWF officials are members of the Working Group coordinating the creation of the first-ever Strategic Plan for our International Federation. On this roadmap for the period 2024-2032, the implementation of new events and innovative formats in the sport is clearly a priority. “All these events provide great experience that shall be collected and evaluated. As part of our strategic objective to introduce new, innovative disciplines, a consolidated 'urban weightlifting' format shall be elaborated soon, with the active participation of the Athletes,” Mr Adamfi says. Antonio Conflitti, Laszlo Fabian (General Secretary of Hungary's NOC) and Attila Adamfi  Mr Conflitti goes in the same direction: “We need to make weightlifting more attractive to a wider audience and these events help to do that.” Competition-wise, lifters from Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia were in action in Maribor. Team winners were Gabriela Frlan (CRO) and Gabor Bunasz (HUN), while individual best performances went to Janez Paternoster (SLO) among boys, and to Chiara Reljac (CRO) in the girls’

IWF updates its TCRR as of July 26, 2023

The IWF sent yesterday to all its National Member Federations a communication on the new, updated version of the IWF Technical and Competition Rules and Regulations (TCRR). This new document, valid as of July 26, 2023 is accompanied by an Annex explaining the main changes compared to the previous version. They essentially concern the mandatory use of Video Playback Technology (VPT) at all Olympic Qualification events, the change in the maximum height of the competition stage, the precisions on the weigh-in protocol, and the update on the regulations concerning the attendance of athletes at medal ceremonies. The changes to the IWF TCRR were proposed by the Technical Committee and approved by both the IWF Executive Board and Athletes Commission. Relevant documents: IWF TCRR 2023ANNEX – IWF TCRR MODIFICATIONS AS OF 26 JULY