More info on the Award winners here.

The IWF was represented by Ms. Celsa Alvarez Suarez (ESP), Member of the IWF Technical Committee, and Ms. Aniko Nemeth-Mora (HUN), IWF Director. Ms. Moira Lassen (CAN), Member of the IWF Technical Committee was also present, representing Canada but also the sport of weightlifting.

The three-day conference, whose theme was “Together Stronger: the Future of Sport,” ended with over 800 delegates from 135 countries unanimously approving “The Los Angeles Declaration”, a series of recommendations aimed at promoting gender equality in sport and using sport as a tool to improve the lives of women around the world.

The declaration focused on two main themes:
- The need to bring more women into management and leadership roles
- The need to increase collaboration and partnerships, especially with UN organisations, to promote gender equality.

IOC President Jacques Rogge assured the conference delegates that the Olympic Movement would act on the recommendations.
“I can pledge and I can promise that we will do what is needed”, he said in his closing remarks.

Read the Los Angeles Declaration here

The organisers, the IOC, the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and the Southern California Committee for the Olympic Games, must be commended on having hosted an excellent event. Mr. Dragomir Cioroslan, IWF Vice President, in his role as Director of the USOC, played a significant part in the resounding success of the Conference.

The record number of delegates at this year’s conference included well-known figures from the world of sport, as well as representatives of civil society, government and academia. Other high-profile speakers at the conference included IOC Women and Sport Commission Chairperson Anita DeFrantz; Chairman of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Sebastian Coe; HE Marjon V. Kamara, Chair of the UN’s Commission on the Status of Women; and Geena Davis, Academy Award-winning actress and founder of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media.

Held every four years, the aim of the World Conference on Women and Sport is to assess the progress made in advancing the cause of gender equality within the Olympic Movement and to define future priority actions to improve and increase the involvement of girls and women in this framework.

At the European Junior and Under 23 Championships held in Bucharest, Romania from 9 to 18 September 2011 two Russian female athletes wanted to enter the competition in the 53kg bodyweight category: Mariia Lubina and Ksenia Maximova.

Ksenia Maximova, from the Republic of Bashkortostan, Master of Sport of Russia, was to represent the Russian Federation in Bucharest, but her bodyweight exceeded 53kg.

In spite of her efforts, she couldn’t reach the desired result and a few grams could deprive her of the participation at the Junior Competitions.

Ten minutes before the weigh-in Igor Alekseev, Head Coach of the Junior Team made the only correct decision: to cut Ksenia’s long hair and leave a short ponytail instead.

Ksenia weighed-in with 53kg sharp. She did her best at the competition and managed to grab the 3rd place of the podium in the 53kg bodyweight category. Just like her compatriot Mariia Lubina, Ksenia also ended the competition with a Total of 181kg. Less than 1kg difference in the bodyweight made Mariia Lubina gain the Silver Medal.

This is not a unique story, but a perfect example that shows the strong will and determination of the Russian athletes to win.

The Russian Weightlifting Federation is proud of the Junior and Youth weightlifters’ performance at the European Junior and Under 23 Championships – as Russia got the first place in Team Classification.

Right after the competitions, the first thing Ksenia Maximova did was to visit the best beauty salon of Bucharest so she could get a new haircut from hair specialists.

Anton Kislyakov

Russian Weightlifting Federation Vice-President

Dear WADA Stakeholder,

As you will be aware, the Code Review Process commenced on 28 November, 2011. Correspondence was sent to all stakeholders informing them of the review and drafting process that will continue over the next two years, with three rounds of consultation and culminating in the World Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa in November 2013.

Please be reminded that the submission deadline for the 1st Consultation Phase is March 15, 2012. By sharing your practical experiences with the Code via WADAConnect, you can provide WADA with constructive feedback which will enable WADA to make enhancements to the Code that will benefit the fight against doping in sport.

All stakeholders are urged to consider their practical experiences in providing suggestions for any amendments. In view of the relatively successful harmonious operation to date, we suggest you look carefully at areas which will benefit from change, additions or omissions, and reflect on the benefits to the global community of athletes arising from any suggested alteration.

If you have not already done so, please take the time to create a user account with the consultation platform using the user-friendly guide found here. You may then provide your comments, directly referencing the relevant Code Articles that are of particular interest to you.

We look forward to hearing from you soon in this 1st Consultation Phase and working with you to promote doping free sport and enhancing the Code.

Yours sincerely,

John Fahey AC

President

Japanese ace Hiromi Miyake is determined to deliver a strong performance at the London Olympics this summer to provide encouragement to those still feeling the effects of one of Japan’s worst-ever natural disasters.

The March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami that triggered a nuclear crisis last year claimed the lives of over 15,000 people and left more than 3,300 missing.

The 53kg bodyweight category weightlifter Miyake is thankful that she survived the quake and tsunami that ravaged Japan’s northeastern coastline, inflicting particularly heavy damage on the Miyagi Prefecture her famous father hails from.

”I am grateful that I am alive and able to lift barbells,” said Miyake, whose father Yoshiyuki won the bronze medal in the featherweight class at the 1968 Mexico Olympics.

Although Yoshiyuki’s inland hometown was spared by the tsunami, the quake shook tiles off his house and forced him to cover the roof with makeshift vinyl sheets, while the surrounding roads were left full of bumps and cracks.

”I was so shocked I was lost for words,” said Hiromi, who witnessed the damage first hand.

In May last year, Hiromi and her father visited Shibata Norin High School. The school was being used by students from Miyagi Nogyo High School as their own school building in the coastal area of the prefecture had been damaged by the tsunami.

Before visiting the school, Hiromi and Yoshiyuki checked out the size of the feet of over 200 of the Miyagi Nogyo High School students and provided them with sport shoes that fitted, delivering them along with towels and 350 T-shirts.

A third-year Miyagi Nogyo High School student, men’s 77kg category lifter Ryuta Hikichi, had his home in Natori City swept away by the tsunami and only managed to save himself by clinging onto a plastic greenhouse that he happened to see.

In August he competed at the Inter-High School Championships wearing the uniform he had found a week after the disaster, lifting a personal record.

Hiromi says she had had numerous training camps at Shibata Norin High School.

The 26-year-old finished ninth at 48kg on her Olympic debut in Athens in 2004 and had an even better result in finishing sixth at the Beijing Games four years ago.

Looking ahead to this summer’s London Games, Hiromi, sixth in the 53kg category at last year’s World Championships, said, ”What I have to do at the moment is train. I want to post a good result in London and hopefully that will provide encouragement for victims of the disaster.”

Masashi Inoue

Kyodo News

We remind you that the deadline to return the completed forms will expire on 20 February 2012.

Please send the filled in documents available here to ten.tenfwinull@tnempoleved

While some lifters focus on showmanship or approach the barbell with a degree of hesitation, Khadzimurat Akkaev attacks the bar, brimming with confidence – ready to lift whatever is needed for the victory. It is the mark of an outstanding lifter, being a top competitor. He won the silver (2004) and the bronze medal (2008) in the 94kg category. He has moved up into105kg and the change of bodyweight category paid off.

The 26-year-old Russian lifter Khadzimurat Akkaev was the editor’s pick for producing the most impressive performance at the 2011 European Championships and at the 2011 IWF World Championships Paris, France, as he pounded through six good attempts, producing very respectable numbers in the snatch, clean and jerk, and Total (195kg+230kg in Kazan and 198kg+232kg in Paris).

Akkaev stands 178 cm and he told me that he plans to stay at 105 kg, where his best lifts in training are 201 kg in the snatch (without straps) and 235 kg in the clean and jerk. Asked about the likely composition of the Russian team in 2012, Akkaev said that it is very possible that two lifters will be entered in the 105kg bodyweight category.

Khadzimurat has said that his brother was his biggest influence, explaining, “My brother trained and I wanted to be there with him,” so at the ripe age of 11, Khadzimurat started training, one of a group of 39 kids. One year later, as a 12-year old, he won his first contest, snatching 47kg and clean and jerking 67kg at 45kg bodyweight.

His coach through all these years has been Maxim Makkaev, and they follow 10 workouts per week, with each session lasting 1-1/2–2 hours.

Akkaev said they take a basic approach, emphasizing maximum snatches and maximum clean and jerks: “If I make 200 today, I will try 201 the next day.”

Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D.

Publisher & Editor-in-chief Milo 19.2

www.ironmind.com

A child can deceive when he cries, but he cannot succeed in deceiving when he laughs. An adult can deceive, when he laughs, but can also deceive when he cries. This is the law of nature.

But in the modern world all moves to that adult start to deceive even when they cry. Certainly, this is art, not all the adults, especially men can cry, a special talent is needed for that.

The victory of our fellow countryman, Ilya Ilyin at the 2011 IWF World Championships Paris, France, supported these thoughts. Standing on the platform with a gold medal on his chest, cried, listening to the hymn of Kazakhstan.

Ilya’s life seemed to go right in every respect after the Olympic Games of 2008 in Beijing. However, it is impossible to say this about the last years. It appears, everything, even champions are trapped by various unexpected situations. Your talent can sometimes become not an advantage but a disadvantage. There are a lot of untalented people but there are not many talented ones. And these untalented people finally start to envy the talented ones and become their “enemies”. These “enemies” by various manipulations (by spreading gossips in the mass-media) have achieved that Ilya started to have disagreements with the coaches of the national team of Kazakhstan and with the Sport Committee of the Ministry of Sports. But it is clear that Ilya was born under a lucky star because Nursultan Nazarbaev himself, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan interfered saying to sports officials: «Why all of us were proud and praised Ilya during his victory in Beijing and when he has a problem do you turn away from him? »

Probably, all these moments have come back to Ilya again while he was standing on the platform with the gold medal on his chest listening to the hymn of Kazakhstan, let his feelings and cried, without being embarrassed. These were real tears because in front of the TV cameras it is impossible to deceive anybody, and this is why many Kazakhs cried together with him. Certainly, our Ilya is a real man! Before the World Championships he made a promise in broken Kazakh language to win the World Championships in any case, and he won! Only real men keep their word.

Ilya is a real patriot. Any proofs? When he had difficulties with the coaches and officials, Belarus experts came to him promising him super conditions, but Ilya refused it without hesitating even for a moment.

While “ill-wishers” spread rumors about him, while at the same time he constructed sport fields for children in his native city Kyzylorda at his own cost.

At the World Championships in Paris, on his outfit he had a big logo of the 20th Anniversary of the Independence of Kazakhstan which was the most important event of 2011 for Kazakh people.

Though Ilya is not Kazakh by nationality, lives in the heart of each Kazakh, and he is a vivid example of how it is necessary to love your country and the people.

Dear Ilya! All Kazakhs wish you a lot of success in London!!!

Sultan Shokbytov

Secretary General of the Kazakhstan Association of Sports Journalists

Svetlana Tsarukaeva has set a World Record while lifting the gold medal in the women’s 63kg bodyweight category at the 2011 IWF World Championships Paris, France. Tsarukaeva’s Snatch of 117kg beat the previous mark of 116kg, set by Pawina Thongsuk of Thailand back in 2005.

Her World Record of 117 kg helped to remember another unforgettable moment of Tsarukaeva, made her so disappointed three years ago in Beijing. As a silver medallist of the previous two World Championships in 2006 (58kg), 2007 (63kg) she was one of the favorites in the women’s 63kg final, but she failed in her final attempt to snatch 107kg. Clasping her head in her hands, she left the stage in Beijing with an inconsolable sadness.

A year later she became a silver medallist at the Goyang World Championships for the third time (2009). Svetlana was very hungry for her first victory. The 24-year-old Tsarukaeva (born 25 December 1987) lifted 138kg in the clean and jerk and ended up with a Total of 255kg in Paris.

“My journey to this victory was very long. I was always close, but lacked some kilos or my own extra grams,” Tsarukaeva said. “This time it all worked out well. I’m full of emotions. At this time all was well-developed. At last the luck was on my side. I realized that if not today, then perhaps I’ll never do this.”

“In 2011 my career reached its peak as I became a European, Russian and later World Champion as well and World Record holder. I did exactly what I wanted to realize at the beginning of 2011.My motivation was extremely strong.”

Q: Though you have the knowledge which could lead to victory; do you plan any changes during your preparations to the London Olympics?

A: I know my weak points and my coach, Kazbek Zoloev (48 years old) helps me a lot to reach my final goal step by step. The day after winning the gold medal I was aware of the fact I have to develop my performance otherwise my rival will overtake. I must be as perfect as possible in London. It is not an easy task; especially taking into consideration that I also have another obligation: to prepare my thesis on athletes’ recovery after top performances.

Q: If you are an expert in this topic, would you recall how you recovered after the World Championships?

A: The pressure was really almost unbearable. I missed my family and my school friends in Vladikavkaz and of course the best way to return to normal life was to meet them as frequently as I could.

Q: Are there any more weightlifters in your family or among your schoolmates?

A: No, unfortunately not. My grandmother used to be a sprint runner and my brother practiced free style wrestling. I started my training as an arm-wrestler and as we shared our training hall with weightlifters, their world attracted me more so I switched over to weightlifting. But I will never forget my first sport, as my coach Kazbek Zoloev is a multiple arm-wrestling World Champion.

Further to that, several ongoing issues were raised during the conversation pointing out the importance and future possibilities of grassroots development.

Experts such as the IOC Medical Director, WADA Legal Director and WADA European Regional Office and International Federations Relations Director took part in the meeting along with other specialists from international organizations and from the IWF.

The participants agreed that the involvement of RADOs (Regional Anti-Doping Organizations) and NADOs (National Anti-Doping Organizations) are indispensible to aim the further improvement of the IWF Anti-Doping Program.

The fruitful collaboration of the working group will allow the amendment of the IWF Policy to run simultaneously with the modification of the IWF Constitution.

IOC and WADA experts are strongly convinced that the IWF’s strong approach and dedication in the fight against doping is an exceptional example to follow among IFs and demonstrates how to be efficient, compliant and proactive in this challenging task.

Each competition – World Championships especially – is full of noteworthy moments; the only question is which one will be burned in your memory forever.

The Paris 2011 World Championships Paris, France, was no exception: dramatic fights for the medals abounded and the intensity of duels, the bitter fights, not mentioning the World Records, captured the spectators again and again. As far as I am concerned, I was most captivated by the events in the Women’s 63kg. More than one snapshot of this category has stuck in my memory’s subjective filter; developments that are not too frequent even at such peak events.

It started with one of the hot favourites, Maneza from Kazakhstan, the defending champion finishing only third in snatch with 109kg, following Chinese Ouyang and Russian Tsarukaeva. The latter, by the way, performed a special feat cancelling the oldest (6 years old) Women’s World Record with her successful 117kg. Being the other main contender for the gold, Tsarukaeva thus obtained a considerable advantage not only psychologically but also measurable in kilos. However, that was not to be the end of the competition! The Russian, performing six on six and reaching 138kg in clean and jerk, totaled an impressive 255kg and there was only one woman left in the race. Maneza, holder of the clean and jerk world record with 143kg, called for 147kg for her last attempt. If successful, the Kazakh captures the victory for both the jerk and the total.

Excitement brimming over, Maneza cleans and jerks the weight, throws herself in the arms of her coach, the Kazakh camp jubilant… but the magic lasts only for seconds. The referees fail the attempt on account of press-out. Falling from heaven down to earth, the disappointment obviously enormous, but when it comes to the victory ceremony it’s the “old” Maneza again. She is by no means crushed by the failure, by bad luck; she is smiling in spite of all the disappointment. She had a chance to do the bravura of becoming world champion for the third time in a row after 2009 and 2010, had she completed a good lift on 147kg. Alas, she failed. But she is behaving as a real sport, braving the blow. If considering only this feature of Maneza’s character (while she has many others) I am sure that have several jubilant moments are still waiting for her when she will feel being not in hell but in heaven, and not only for a transitional period but for a prolonged time, thanks to her exceptional faculties in this sport and as a result of unchallengeable lifts.

Kornel Jancso

Editor-in-Chief WW