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2024: new year, new Prohibited Substances List

This Olympic year started with a new WADA List of Prohibited Substances and Methods, which contains some important updates and modifications. A summary of those changes can be found here, while the new List is available through this link. Particular attention should be given to information regarding tramadol: in September 2022, WADA decided to prohibit the narcotic tramadol in competition, effective January 1, 2024. The delay in implementation was to ensure stakeholders had enough time to learn and adapt to this change, especially as it pertained to the education of athletes, their entourage, and medical personnel.  Credit image: www.wada-ama.org/ Tramadol has been on WADA’s Monitoring Programme and data gathered through that programme have indicated significant use in sports. Tramadol abuse, with its risk of physical dependence, opiate use disorder and overdoses, is of concern worldwide and has led to it being a controlled drug in many countries. Research studies funded by WADA have also confirmed the potential for tramadol to enhance sports performance.  Besides changes in the List, 2024 also saw the implementation of a new Monitoring Programme (available here) In order to enhance athletes’ feedback on this important topic, WADA is organising a 2024 annual perception survey. We invite all lifters to complete this questionnaire, by no later than January 17, 2024 by clicking in the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QC8XPBT Other relevant information: Medical Professionals Factsheet on tramadol (available now)   Athlete and ASP Guide to the 2024 List (available

Chinese lifters and officials get a Parisian “taste” before the Games

After its successful participation in the IWF Grand Prix II in Doha (QAT) and before its return to the country, the Chinese weightlifting team travelled to Paris (FRA) from December 14-21, 2023 to get a “taste” of the facilities provided for the upcoming Olympic Games in August.   During their stay in the French capital, the Asian delegation had the opportunity to share the facilities of the national weightlifting training center at INSEP, as part of the training sessions scheduled jointly with the French Olympic team. This enriching experience was highlighted by the staging of a seminar where French and Chinese could debate on talent detection, training and coaching methods. This opportunity also allowed Team China to visit the French capital, namely the Olympic Village at Saint Ouen, which in a few months will be home to all the athletes taking part in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. After a detailed presentation of the Village’s construction project and its conversion into residential accommodation after the Games, the Chinese delegation was able to take their first step into the Village and see where the future weightlifting training room will be located. Michel Raynaud, President of the French Weightlifting and IWF Executive Board member, underlined the importance of this visit: “It was a very rewarding opportunity to share our experiences and to forge common and stronger links between the two teams. I would like to thank all the Chinese athletes and officials for their availability, and their willingness to fruitfully co-operate with us during this period leading to the

IWF New Year’s message

In these final days of 2023, we are very happy to report on a very successful year for the weightlifting family! We can proudly say that these last 12 months have been an important milestone in the already rich 118-year history of our International Federation. The highlight of this year’s achievements occurred on October 16, when the International Olympic Committee decided to reinstate our beloved sport in the programme of the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028. After years of uncertainty and difficult challenges to overcome, the IOC recognised at the highest level that the IWF is progressing in the right direction and deserves its full place in the Olympic arena. This moment of immense joy is also an occasion to recognise our responsibility to continue this positive momentum and push ahead in the years to come. More than ever, the International Weightlifting Federation must ensure that the mechanisms we implemented in the areas of good governance and anti-doping, for example, are strong, and more importantly, are working efficiently. After the election of a new Board in June 2022, the work developed in 2023 consolidated the structural reforms that were necessary to enhance the credibility, reliability, and reputation of our Federation. From the creation of the first-ever IWF Refugee Team and the development of a Safety and Integrity Policy, and the unanimous approval of our updated Constitution, the weightlifting family showed a remarkable sense of unity and co-operation throughout the five continents. The development of our IWF Strategic Plan (for the period 2024-2032), in collaboration with all stakeholders in the IWF family, was another success, reinforcing our strong will to embrace modernity in our activities and ensure a clear roadmap for the future. In a year marked by several Olympic qualification events, our competitions gained in importance and exposure. Last September, in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), around 700 lifters from 120 nations gathered for the most-attended edition of our World Championships. Over 14 days, the best lifters in the world had the opportunity to perform in excellent conditions, while fighting for a spot in the next Games in Paris. The Olympic rendezvous in the French capital is naturally the major milestone of 2024 – 120 athletes will display their strength throughout 10 bodyweight categories, thus culminating a qualification pathway that will still include five continental championships in the first months of the year and the IWF World Cup in April in Phuket (THA). After our stay in France, the year will conclude with the celebration of our global showcase in December in Manama (Bahrain). Like our stars, we are very motivated to enter in this new year and show the vitality of our sport. We are optimistic and confident that despite the obvious progress, we must not rest on our laurels. We must continue working hard to demonstrate why weightlifting symbolises in a perfect way the Fortius notion of the Olympic motto – we are Strong, but our desire is to get even Stronger. And we will do so together. In this very positive context, we cannot conclude this historic year without expressing our sincere gratitude and appreciation to all those who, collectively and decisively contributed to all these successes: our colleagues from the IWF Board, our devoted IWF Secretariat, but mainly our Continental and National Member Federations around the globe, as well as their respective athletes, coaches, officials, and administrators. Without their daily work and outstanding devotion to our sport, we couldn’t celebrate these achievements. Our consolidated position in the Olympic Movement is a fair tribute to their support and action in their territories. Only together, working locally, but thinking globally, can we progress and show to the world our dynamism and commitment to a healthier and happier planet. With enthusiasm and satisfaction, we wish the entire weightlifting community a prosperous and successful New Year of 2024! Thank you for making the IWF stronger and more respected worldwide! Mohammed Jalood                                 Antonio UrsoIWF President                                        IWF Secretary General

2024 IWF World Cup: preliminary entries are due on December 31!

The IWF sent this week to its National Member Federations all the information concerning the applicable deadlines for the 2024 IWF World Cup, to be held in Phuket (THA), from March 31 to April 11, 2024. According to this procedure, the Preliminary Entry deadline is December 31, 2023, exactly three months before the start of the event. Two months before the competition, on January 31, 2024 the IWF should receive the Final Entries and on March 17, 2024 the verification of Final Entries will be made (so that the Start Book of the World Cup can be produced). National Member Federations must make sure that all their potential participating athletes are included in the Preliminary Entries, as no other lifters can be accepted after December 31, 2023. Moreover, this date is also the last deadline for all athletes wishing to take part in the event to send their whereabouts information, in accordance with article 5.5.16 of the IWF Anti-Doping Rules. In case this procedure is not completed on time, lifters shall be automatically ineligible to compete in Phuket. At the Preliminary Entry phase, each National Member Federation may register a maximum of 20 athletes per gender, while the Final Entries are limited to 12 lifters (10+2 reserves) per gender. The 2024 IWF World Cup is the last Olympic Qualification event before the Games in Paris (FRA) and, together with the 2023 IWF World Championships, it is a mandatory competition to obtain the selection for the Olympic rendezvous. All entries can be registered via the IWF online entry system at https://mf.iwf.sport All relevant documents can be found

National championships in Europe: 12-year-old Emily within 2kg of Spanish senior record

A sister and brother aged 12 and 17, an Olympic medallist, an improving Italian teenager and a refugee were among the top performers in a series of age-group and senior national championships throughout Europe. Arguably the most remarkable performance was by Emily Ibanez, who became the youngest ever medallist in an IWF competition this year. Emily, whose 13th birthday is next week, came within 2kg of the Spanish senior record when she clean and jerked 110kg at the national under-17 championships in Gijon. In her five good lifts Emily, who moved up to 64kg rather than her intended 59kg and weighed in at 60.2kg, made 82-110-192. That was the highest total made by any of the 101 female lifters in Gijon, including the super-heavyweights.   Emily’s only failure was a snatch attempt of 84kg as she bettered under-15, youth and junior records 17 times in those five lifts according to her father Ciro Ibanez, who was an international lifter for Cuba before coaching in France and Spain and moving to Canada. Emily was the top individual female athlete in Gijon and her brother Brayan was the best male on points despite declining his last two attempts because of a wrist problem. He made 140-151-291 for a sweep of national under-17 records at 81kg. Sister and brother both competed at the World Youth Championships in Albania in March, where Emily finished third at 55kg on 79-98-177, three months after her 12th birthday. Brayan was fifth at 81kg on 131-167-298. They both have dual nationality, as does their mother Abigail, and they competed in Albania for Canada. Emily Ibanez (right), competing for Canada last March in Albania Their parents moved to Canada many years ago after Ciro finished his coaching jobs in Europe. Emily said her big target next year is “to win gold in clean and jerk, and silver or gold on total” at the World Youth Championships in Peru in May. She and her brother have been given clearance by the Canadian Federation to switch to Spain, which both intend to do. They are eligible and are waiting for clearance from the Spanish Olympic Committee, their father said. At the Italian Absolute Championships in Rome, 18-year-old Celine Delia and the Paris 2024 contender Sergio Massidda won the top athlete awards. Delia improved on the 194kg total that earned her silver at this year’s European Juniors. She made 87-110-197 to win at 55kg and register the highest Sinclair score. Another impressive performance by a teenager at Rome’s Army Olympic Sports Centre came from Sara Dal Bo. The 14-year-old totalled 202kg in winning at 87kg, an improvement of 20kg on her effort at the World Youths in March, when she was eighth at 81kg. Celine Delia (ITA) Genna Toko Kegne set national records in the women's 76 kg category with a snatch of 100kg and a total of 220kg. Massidda, who is second in the 61kg Olympic rankings, lifted at 67kg in Rome and won on 135-160-295. The Tokyo Olympic medallist Mirko Zanni made 140-160-300 to win at 73kg. Neither Massidda nor Zanni competed at the IWF Grand Prix in Doha where their team-mate Nino Pizzolato made a successful comeback from injury at 89kg and, like Massidda, is all but certain to qualify for Paris 2024. “Today we are in Paris with two athletes but the dream is to bring six, three males and three females,” said IWF general secretary Antonio Urso, who is president of the Italian Federation. Two special guests at the Absolute Championships were IWF President Mohammed Jalood and Italian Olympic Committee president Giovanni Malago. Sergio Massidda (ITA) IWF vice-president Pyrros Dimas highlighted the efforts of teenagers at the Greek championships in Litochoro, where 11 records were set. Dimas, general secretary of the national federation, said, “It was an excellent Panhellenic Championship, worthy of the level of the sport. Everyone gave their best and we enjoyed some great contests. The records that have been made confirm the work that is being done at young ages and I am sure that better days are coming for the sport.” The top performer among 237 athletes of all ages was 15-year-old Maria Stratoudaki, who snatched 71kg in the 49kg category, which is 1kg more than her own Under-15 European record. Sofia Georgopoulou set three national records at 64kg, making 93-114-207. The Tokyo Olympian Theodoris Iakovidis was top individual performer on points. In Sweden Joen Vikingsson, who competed at senior and junior World Championships this year, registered a career-best total and scored 400 Sinclair points for the first time. Vikingsson improved his recent total at the World Juniors by 12kg when he made 160-196-356 at the Swedish Junior Championships in Jonkoping. Large crowds watched the England Championships at the NEC in Birmingham, which attracted 200 athletes and were hosted as part of Fitfest 2023 and the British Indoor Rowing Championships. Chris Murray, weighing in at 73.3kg, made 148kg for the heaviest double bodyweight snatch in 40 years by a British athlete. Commonwealth Games gold medallist Murray totalled 320kg and will be looking for further improvement at the European Championships in February. The 26-year-old former Cuban athlete Ramiro Moro Romero has recently been granted refugee status in the UK. He excelled in the 96kg category with 156-201-357, setting a national clean and jerk record. By Brian

IWF adheres to the “Sports for Nature” programme

The IWF recently became one of the 48 sports organisations adhering to the “Sports for Nature” programme, an initiative aimed at safeguarding nature, while contributing to national and global biodiversity goals. Under this framework, our International Federation assumes its responsibility towards the adoption of measurable actions for the protection of nature. “Sports for Nature” is a joint initiative of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, International Olympic Committee, United Nations Environment Programme, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity and Sails of Change. On December 2022, was signed the first “Sports for Nature Framework” at the Convention on Biological Diversity Conference of the Parties in Montreal, with an initial group of 23 signatories, Presently, 48 sports – of all sizes and in all geographies – are supporting the initiative and are committed to report on their progress annually. This historic agreement supports the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and calls on all actors in society to develop and communicate their commitments. Florian Sperl, IWF Executive Board member, is managing the implementation of this project within our Federation: “We are fully committed to becoming a signatory of the Sports for Nature Framework and adhering to its principles. As an indoor sport, we have realised that the deterioration of nature and climate impacts us, and we recognise the urgent need for sport to take action in protecting and enhancing nature. As a sport, we depend on a healthy environment for training as well as competition, and we are committed to work deeper on this important topic.” Mohammed Jalood, the IWF President, also highlights the importance of this initiative: “As a world governing body of such a global Sport, we have also a social responsibility towards the environment in which our competitions and actions take place. In a planet marked by so many challenges, namely in terms of climate change and nature protection, Sport must play its part and contribute to these essential matters. All the efforts are precious to this so noble cause – and we are proud of being part of