International Weightlifting Federation#Competitions

{{Short description|International weightlifting governing body}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}}

{{Infobox organization

| name = International Weightlifting Federation

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| image = International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) seit 2014.svg

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| size = 150px

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| abbreviation = IWF

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| formation = {{Start date and age|1905|06|10|df=y}}

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| founding_location = Duisburg, Germany

| type = Sports Federation

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| headquarters = Lausanne, Switzerland

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| region_served = Worldwide

| membership =

| language = English

| leader_title = President

| leader_name = {{flagicon|IRQ}} Mohamed Hassan Jaloud

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| affiliations = International Olympic Committee

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| revenue = US$4.10 million{{cite web|url=https://www.thesportsexaminer.com/lane-one-whos-in-the-money-exclusive-analysis-of-our-survey-of-international-federation-finances/|title=Who's in the money? EXCLUSIVE analysis of our survey of International Federation finances|work= The Sports Examiner|first=Rich|last=Perelman|date=24 May 2020|access-date=5 June 2022}}

| revenue_year = 2018

| expenses = US$9.19 million

| expenses_year = 2018

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| website = {{URL|https://iwf.sport/}}

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}}

The International Weightlifting Federation, aka IWF, is the international governing body for the sport of Weightlifting. Headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, it has 193 affiliated national federations.{{Cite web |title=About Us |url=https://iwf.sport/weightlifting_/aboutus/ |access-date=2023-01-29 |website=International Weightlifting Federation |language=en-US}} Mohammed Hasan Jalood is its president since June 2022.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/its-olympic-future-in-doubt-weightlifting-names-new-leader/2022/06/25/e02903ca-f4a4-11ec-ac16-8fbf7194cd78_story.html|title=Its Olympic future in doubt, weightlifting names new leader|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=25 June 2022|access-date=25 June 2022}}

The IWF organizes the World Weightlifting Championships, as well as world championship events for Youth and Juniors.{{Cite web |date=2015-12-14 |title=Competitions |url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1032575/competitions |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160805141632/https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1032575/competitions |archive-date=2016-08-05 |access-date=2023-01-29 |website=inside the games}} It also cooperates with the International Olympic Committee in the organization of Weightlifting events at the Olympic Games;{{cite web|url=http://www.iwf.net/focus-on-iwf/about/|title=About|publisher=International Weightlifting Federation|access-date=8 November 2015}} however weightlifting's inclusion in the 2028 Olympics is uncertain, due to doping issues within the sport, and governance issues within IWF, and weightlifting's inclusion is expected to be decided by an IOC meeting in 2023.{{Cite web |last=Cooper |first=Edward |date=2021-12-16 |title=Weightlifting Won't Be In 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles |url=https://www.menshealth.com/uk/fitness/lifestyle/a38536489/weightlifting-wont-be-in-the-2028-los-angeles-olympics/ |access-date=2023-01-29 |website=Men's Health |language=en-GB}} Weightlifting is scheduled as a sport in the upcoming 2024 Olympics, but with reduced numbers of athletes and events.{{Cite web |date=2021-12-21 |title=Only four of Tokyo Olympic weight classes retained for Paris 2024 weightlifting |url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1117123/paris-2024-olympics-weightlifting |access-date=2023-01-30 |website=www.insidethegames.biz}}{{Cite web |last=Perelman |first=Rich |date=2020-12-08 |title=LANE ONE: Paris 2024 program approved, with four added sports, eight event changes and punishment for weightlifting |url=https://www.thesportsexaminer.com/lane-one-paris-2024-program-approved-with-four-added-sports-eight-event-changes-and-punishment-for-weightlifting/ |access-date=2023-01-30 |website=The Sports Examiner |language=en-US}}

IWF traces its history to the formation of the "Amateur-Athleten-Weltunion" (Amateur Athletes World Union) in 1905.{{Cite web |title=Weightlifting History |url=https://iwf.sport/weightlifting_/history/ |access-date=2023-01-25 |website=International Weightlifting Federation |language=en-US}}

History

The IWF's predecessor organization, the "Amateur-Athleten-Weltunion" (Amateur Athletes World Union) was founded in June 10, 1905 in Duisburg, Germany.{{Cite web |title=Instagram |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/DF5ZOEtIOAx/?igsh=dG4xYjRpa3l4dWV4 |access-date=2025-03-21 |website=www.instagram.com}} This organization governed both weightlifting and wrestling. In 1912 this became the "Internationaler Weltverband für Schwerathletik" (International Federation of Heavy Athletics), adding "Amateur" in 1913 to become the "Internationaler Amateur-Weltverband für Schwerathletik."{{Cite web |title=Olympedia – International Wanking Federation |url=https://www.olympedia.org/organizations/122 |access-date=2023-01-30 |website=www.olympedia.org}}

In 1920, the federation split into separate organizations for weightlifting and wrestling, creating the Fédération Internationale de Poids et Halteres (International Federation of Weights and Dumbbells) for weightlifters, which then became the Fédération Haltérophile International (FHI). In 1972, the Federation officially changed to the English version of this name by which it is now known—the International Weightlifting Federation.

Tournaments

Awards

Corruption, governance and doping scandals

In 2020 an investigative television program, broadcast on German TV network ARD, exposed doping and corruption scandals within the sport.{{Cite web |date=2022-06-16 |title=Tamas Ajan, ex-weightlifting federation president, gets life ban over doping |url=https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2022/06/16/tamas-ajan-weightlifting-iwf-ban-doping/ |access-date=2023-01-29 |website=OlympicTalk {{!}} NBC Sports |language=en-US}} A subsequent investigation into the IWF, found that doping – an historic problem within the sport{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2020/jun/08/corruption-in-weightlifting-exposes-its-need-for-an-independent-enforcer|access-date=2021-08-08|date=2020-01-06|title=IOC concerned by 'very serious' doping allegations in weightlifting|website=The Guardian}} – was exacerbated by systematic governance failures, corruption, and doping cover-ups at the highest level of IWF;{{Cite web |date=2020-06-04 |title=Investigation finds doping cover-ups in weightlifting |url=https://apnews.com/article/215dbf97b7e22a05b763e774229e62ba |access-date=2023-01-29 |website=AP NEWS |language=en}} with Tamás Aján, president of IWF from 2000 to 2020,{{Cite news|first=Junko|last=Fujita|url=https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/review-olympics-weightlifting-tokyo-2020-marked-by-firsts-recent-scandals-cloud-2021-08-08/|access-date=2021-08-08|date=2021-08-08|title=Olympics-Weightlifting-Tokyo 2020 marked by firsts, but recent scandals cloud outlook|work=Reuters}} being found guilty by the Court of Arbitration for Sport of charges relating to tampering, fraudulent conduct and complicity in covering-up years of doping cases.

Citing endemic corruption in IWF, and widespread doping issues, the International Olympic Committee has threatened to drop weightlifting entirely from the Olympics unless substantial reforms are made to the sport.{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/ioc-gives-itself-more-power-to-remove-sports-from-olympics/2021/08/08/e9c26e84-f811-11eb-a636-18cac59a98dc_story.html|title=IOC gives itself more power to remove sports from Olympics|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=2021-08-08|access-date=2021-08-08}}{{Cite news|first1=Ognian|last1=Georgiev|first2=Ken|last2=Belson|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/28/sports/olympics/weight-lifting-olympics.html|title=Weight Lifting, an Original Olympic Sport, May Be Dropped|date=2021-07-28|access-date=2021-08-08|work=The New York Times}}

Consequently, as of 2021, weightlifting isn't in the line up of the 2028 Olympics. There is, nevertheless, a pathway for weightlifting's potential inclusion, if all issues are satisfactorily addressed by the new leadership of IWF before a key meeting of the International Olympic Committee in 2023. The IOC requires the IWF to demonstrate its transition "towards compliance and an effective change of culture", and successfully address doping within the sport and "ensure the integrity, robustness, and full independence of its anti-doping programme."{{Cite web |date=2021-12-09 |title=Boxing and weightlifting risk being dropped from Olympics after scandals |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/dec/09/olympics-weightlifting-boxing-risk-being-dropped-2028-games |access-date=2023-01-29 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}

In 2020, in response to the scandal, IWF, being temporarily run by interim acting president Ursula Papandrea, initiated relocation of its headquarters from Aján's home city of Budapest to Lausanne, Switzerland, where the headquarters of the IOC is also located.{{Cite web |date=2020-04-23 |title=IWF moves from Hungary to Lausanne under new American leadership |url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1093521/iwf-moves-from-hungary-to-lausanne |access-date=2023-01-29 |website=www.insidethegames.biz}}{{Cite web |date=2022-04-23 |title=IWF Welcomes the Sports World to its Headquarters in Lausanne |url=https://iwf.sport/2022/04/23/iwf-welcomes-the-sports-world-to-its-headquarters-in-lausanne/ |access-date=2023-01-29 |website=International Weightlifting Federation |language=en-US}} In June 2022, a new IWF executive board was elected by IWF's member federations, with the new president Mohammed Hasan Jalood saying he is "dedicated" to "positive change".{{Cite web |date=2022-06-26 |title=New IWF leader Jalood and his team "ready for change" |url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1124965/iwf-board-positive-change |access-date=2023-01-29 |website=www.insidethegames.biz}}

Weightlifting is scheduled as part of the 2024 Olympics program in Paris, although with reduced numbers of athletes, weight-classes, and events.

Response to Russian invasion of Ukraine

In response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the IWF suspended athletes, coaches, and support personnel from Russia and Belarus on March 3, 2022, and forbade Russia from hosting any IWF competitions.{{Cite web |date=21 March 2022 |title=Agapitov actively supporting war say Ukraine Weightlifting Federation |url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1120863/agapitov-supporting-war-say-ukraine |website=www.insidethegames.biz}}

In January 2023, IWF stated: "The IWF stands in solidarity with Ukraine and reaffirms its support for the IOC’s sanctions against the Russian and Belarusian State and Government. The IWF believes strongly in the unifying mission of sport and the Olympic Movement and welcomes the exploration of a pathway for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under strict conditions. The IWF will uphold the current protective measures in place while this pathway is considered."{{Cite web |date=2023-01-26 |title=IWF statement |url=https://iwf.sport/2023/01/26/iwf-statement-2/ |access-date=2023-01-29 |website=International Weightlifting Federation |language=en-US}}

Continental federations

IWF's affiliated continental federations are:{{cite web|title=Continental Federations|publisher=International Weightlifting Federation|url=http://www.iwf.net/iwf/organization/continental.php|access-date=2008-12-12|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081019160223/http://www.iwf.net/iwf/organization/continental.php|archive-date=2008-10-19}}

See also

References

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