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Voting has opened for 2019 LIFTERS OF THE YEAR!

  IWF - WORLD WEIGHTLIFTING LIFTER OF THE YEAR 2019  Men & Women You can now decide who was your Best Male and Best Female Lifter in 2019. Vote for the athletes to receive the  "IWF Jenő Boskovics Lifter of the Year Trophies for 2019”!  Voting is now open! Please follow this procedure: - Select 1 (one) Man and 1 (one) Woman lifter from WORLD WEIGHTLIFTING's nominees! - You must give your Name, country and E-mail address; - In the Password field type the code appearing in the field above the word "Password". Deadline: 10 FEBRUARY 2020! Only votes meeting the above requirements will be accepted! MEN OM YUN CHOL (PRK, 55 kg) SHI ZHIYONG (CHN, 73 kg) LYU XIAOJUN (CHN, 81 kg) MARTIROSYAN SIMON (ARM, 109 kg) TALAKHADZE LASHA (GEO, +109 kg) WOMEN KUO HSING-CHUN (TPE), 59 kg) DENG WEI (CHN, 64 kg) NYE KATHERINE ELIZABETH (USA, 71 kg) RIM JONG SIM (PRK, 76 kg) SOLIS ARBOLEDA LEIDY YESSENIA (COL, 81 kg)   VOTE

IWF Coaching Symposium in Beijing

In December 2019 an IWF Coaching Symposium was successfully held in the Chinese National Weightlifting Training Center in Beijing, China. The aim of the two days symposium was mainly to discuss how technology can contribute to weightlifting training and performance and of course to have a look at the Chinese Weightlifting System. The President of the Chinese Weightlifting Association, Mr ZHOU Jingiang on behalf of the hosts opened the symposium. He mentioned that there are several aspects why Chinese weightlifters are among the bests, such as young-athlete-cultivation system, that starts from school-age children until top athletes as a long-term sport development. Also training philosophy and training methods inherited by generation to generation is a key point and of course, there is an emphasis on the anti-doping work. As for the preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, Mr ZHOU highlighted that Chinese National Weightlifting Team has been fully supported in many aspects of physical training, advanced technology, injury prevention and treatment, team construction which play an important role to achieve their goals in Japan. Participants, including Mr Mahmoud MAHGOUB, IWF Coaching and Research Committee Chair, Ms Karoliina LUNDAHL, CRC Deputy Chair, and other IWF Committee Members listened attentively the presentations primarily by Chinese experts. On the first day, the emphasis was on technology, showing two different methods of how to use technology to improve the training. Tracking the bar with a sensor and infrared camera and a mobile app while the other one uses 2 cameras and software, therefore, a computer is needed. Both analyzing systems can be very useful for coaches and athletes to correct weightlifting techniques. In the next sessions, presentations were given by co-worker of Scientific Research team of Chinese Weightlifting Team, colleagues from Zhen-Ao Company, Performance coach of the Chinese team and expert from CHINADA. In the afternoon of the second day, after the presentations and interactive and interesting discussions, participants had the possibility to visit the high-tech equipped facilities that support Chinese Weightlifting Team and saw how big role is played by science, technology, rehabilitation and prevention not only on the training itself. The participants' feedback was very good, they agreed that the two days were useful, especially to share their opinions. Timea HORVATH, IWF Development and Education Manager on behalf of IWF expressed her thanks to the Chinese Weightlifting Association to host this

WADA 2020 Prohibited List came into force

The World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA)  2020 List of Prohibited Substances and Methods (List), which was first published on 30 September 2019, cameinto force on 1 January. The List, which is one of six International Standards that are mandatory for all Signatories of the World Anti-Doping Code (Code), designates what substances and methods are prohibited both in- and out-of-competition, and which substances are banned in particular sports. The 2020 Prohibited List; the 2020 Summary of Modifications and Explanatory Notes; and the 2020 Monitoring Program are available for download on WADA’s website in multiple

IWF rejects ARD allegations

Yesterday evening, the German TV station, ARD, ran a show that focused on doping and governance issues within weightlifting. A number of historical issues, some already disproven and others unfounded, were raised. The IWF has to express its shock and dismay at the program as it contains many insinuations, unfounded accusations and distorted information, and it categorically denies the unsubstantiated and very serious accusations made against it by the show. The IWF has always been and is today fully WADA Code compliant.  It has been running a progressive and extensive anti-doping program, which has been continuously upgraded, including creative and pioneer measures. While we are compiling a robust response, we can identify several statements that we are able to refute, e.g.: A) Alleged mishandling of Olympic Games TV revenue shares received from the IOC. – It must be said that between 2009 and 2011 the IWF received exactly the same claim. The matter was then discussed and dealt with by the IWF Executive Board and an extensive document package was submitted to the IOC Ethics Commission for study. It was finally established that: No money was missing; The President and the General Secretary-Treasurer acted in full accordance with the IWF Constitution and provisions in effect at the time; All the Olympic revenues were accounted and duly documented in the IWF official bank accounts, (none of them secret), The Executive Board had full knowledge of the IWF assets. B) Historical testing of leading athletes, in particular Georgian Olympic and World Champion Lasha Talakhadze allegedly not tested during his suspension and before winning the title. The allegation is completely false since Mr. Talakhadze was tested three times (two times out of competition) in 2015, even during his suspension period. Furthermore, he was tested six times in 2016 including the Rio Olympic Games, three times out of competition prior to the Games. C) Regarding the 2015 IWF World Championships held in Houston, the IWF wishes to emphasize that USADA was contracted in cooperation with HUNADO. The Test Distribution Plan prepared by the IWF Anti-Doping Commission resulted in 24 anti-doping rule violations (ADRV). According to our knowledge, USADA additionally conducted doping controls according to their own test distribution plan – resulting in zero ADRVs. Due to the successful cooperation in 2015 Houston, USADA continued its cooperation with HUNADO at the 2017 World Championships in Anaheim and at the 2019 Youth World Championships held in Las Vegas. The more recent issue of extensive doping among Thai weightlifters was also raised and the IWF has immediately acted on this. This is a matter that was first revealed thanks to the IWF's decision to submit in-competition samples, that initially had returned no adverse findings, for further analysis. The revelations by the Thai weightlifter, who is an Olympic champion, are highly worrying and the IWF is following up the issue with the Thai Weightlifting Association and WADA. Further information on the Thai situation: IWF Follow-up On Widespread Doping Among Thai

IWF Follow-up On Widespread Doping Among Thai Athletes

Budapest. 6 January 2019: Following an update from the International Testing Agency, the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) can report that cases against ten (10) Thai athletes have now been closed. Between them, the athletes had been the subject of seventeen (17) adverse analytical findings. Anti-doping rule violations have been established in all cases and sanctions consisting of suspensions between 18 months and four years have been established. Consistent with the IWF’s commitment to transparency in anti-doping issues, further details of the cases can be found at: https://www.iwf.net/anti-doping/sanctions/ A number of adverse analytical findings were first established on the basis of samples provided during the 2018 IWF World Weightlifting Championships. These samples did not initially return adverse analytical findings, but a robust and intelligence-based approach (evaluation of the Athletes’ Biological Passport) saw the samples retested for the long-term metabolites of anabolic steroids: a methodology whose widespread implementation has been pioneered by the IWF and the IOC. Following the revelation of widespread doping among Thai athletes, a number of them juniors, Thai athletes were withdrawn from competition, including the 2019 IWF World Championships. Thai athletes have not subsequently participated in Olympic Qualifying events and will not be present at Tokyo 2020. The IWF has resisted pressure for any early return to competition. Furthermore, based on further retesting, the Thai athlete who had won a gold medal at the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games was proven to have committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation and has also been sanctioned. The number of confirmed cases means that the independent Member Federation Sanctions Panel will now consider sanctions against the Thai Amateur Weightlifting Association as a whole. On 5 January, German TV channel ARD broadcast a show in which a former Thai weightlifter, Rattikan GULNOI appeared to have implicated herself and other Thai weightlifters in doping. The IWF has immediately followed up with the Thai Federation. The IWF has also requested copies of ARD’s materials. The widespread abuse of the same anabolic agent, especially among juniors, in Thailand would appear to be indicative of an organised system of doping that may have extending beyond the sanctioned athletes themselves. This impression would appear to have been reinforced by the apparent confession secured by ARD. The IWF will now confer with WADA and the International Testing Agency, in order to establish whether a wider investigation may be

2020 IWF World Masters Championship goes to Orlando, USA

The IWF Masters, USA Weightlifting and USA Masters Weightlifting are proud to announce the 2020 IWF World Masters Championship will be held in Orlando, Florida, USA from 28 August to 5 September. The event was originally due be held in Obrighem, Germany who unfortunately were unable to host the event in 2020, at which time the IWF Masters invited the United States to host the event as the runner-up in the bidding process, originally completed in Barcelona, Spain in August 2018. The IWF World Masters Championship is the premiere world-wide event for Weightlifting athletes aged 35 and over, attracting approximately 800 athletes from around the world, competing in 5 year increments from 35 up to over 80 years of age. Competition and housing will be at the Wyndham Resort on International Drive, Orlando, USA located an easy shuttle or car ride from Orlando International Airport (MCO) which has direct links to nations across the world. The Wyndham Resort is also close by to Orlando area tourist attractions Walt Disney World, Universal Studios Florida and others. “We are grateful to the IWF Masters for the opportunity to return the IWF World Masters Championship to the United States of America for the first time in many years. We appreciate the trust placed upon us to deliver a world class event for Masters in just 8 months.” Michael Cohen, USA Masters Weightlifting Committee Chair said. “In recent years, the USA has hosted the Senior World and Youth World Championships, we are thrilled that the Masters level will also now get the opportunity to compete on home soil. We look forward to working closely with the IWF Masters and the USA Weightlifting Masters Committee to deliver a Worlds of the standard that has come to be expected from our hosting.” Phil Andrews, USA Weightlifting Chief Executive Officer said. “Thank you to the USA Masters for stepping in to host the 2020 IWF Masters World Championship at short notice. We know that the USA as an active Masters federation will make excellent arrangements for the benefit of all Masters.” Denise Offermann, IWF Masters President