Weightlifting: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights

Features

David Wallis, 81, and Rachel Glenny, 77, will be in Sunday's South East Powerlifting championships.

Weightlifting News / BBC News / November 26

Transgender athlete 'was very dishonest' says world's strongest woman

A British athlete crowned world's strongest woman says she was "robbed" of her winning moment after it emerged the original champion was a transgender woman who was ineligible to compete.

Weightlifting News / BBC News / November 25

Briton wins world's strongest woman after trans athlete disqualified

Britain's Andrea Thompson wins world's strongest woman as the initial champion was a transgender woman who was not eligible to compete.

Weightlifting News / BBC News / October 16

Powerlifting champion hopes to inspire other mums

Ellie Steel won two international titles after having an emergency caesarean section.

Weightlifting News / BBC News / October 8

Disabled strongwoman hopes to tackle gym stigmas

Louise Greer says people told her to "stay away from weights" because of her disability.

Weightlifting News / BBC News / September 24

'Becoming a strongman pulled me out of dark times'

Gareth Penn turned to alcohol after quitting motorsports, but stepping into the gym changed his life.

Weightlifting News / Larry Brown Sports / August 14

Champion bodybuilder Hayley McNeff dies at 37

A well-known bodybuilder has died unexpectedly. Hayley McNeff, who was known in part for being featured on the “Raising The Bar” documentary in 2016, died on Aug.

Weightlifting News / BBC News / August 6

European strongest woman 'over the moon' with win

Sheffield's Laura Hollywood has been crowned in the under-73kg category at the event held in York.

Weightlifting News / BBC News / July 15

University honours 'inspirational' Olympians

Emily Campbell, Alex Yee and Georgia Taylor-Brown receive honorary doctorates from Leeds Beckett.

Weightlifting News / BBC News / July 11

Powerlifter shares message of hope after injury

Leamington Spa powerlifter, Bally Cheema, says his comeback to the sport was powered by love, belief and his loved ones.

Weightlifting News / BBC News / May 20

Powerlifter takes on the world after cancer surgery

Team GB’s Ram Patten lifted 200kg at the bench press championships, eight months after his operation.

Weightlifting News / BBC News / May 19

My hairstyles are great for representation - Campbell

Two-time Olympic weightlifting medallist Emily Campbell talks to BBC Sport about the importance of her hairstyles.

Weightlifting News / IWF.net / May 16

Asian Championships: ‘Beautiful memories’ for Rahmat Erwin, agony for Olympic champion Rizki – and China wins 57 medals

Rahmat Erwin said farewell to the outgoing body weight categories with a memorable performance at the Asian Championships in Jiangshan, China, where he set his fifth 73kg clean and jerk world record in 30 months.

Weightlifting News / IWF.net / May 15

IWF120y/94 – 1964: Isaac Berger (USA), three Olympics, three medals

In the second half of the 1950s and the first years of the 1960s, the United States had in Isaac (‘Ike’) Berger one of its most accomplished and successful lifters.

Weightlifting News / IWF.net / May 14

IWF120y/93 – 1958: Asian Federation is founded in Tokyo (JPN)

After the foundation of the first continental federation – Pan-American – in 1951, a coordinated effort in Asia allowed the establishment in 1958 of the second continental body in the history of the IWF, the Asian Weightlifting Federation (AWF).

Weightlifting News / IWF.net / May 13

IWF120y/92 – 1997: Last major title for Bulgarian ace Yoto Yotov

In a country of great weightlifters in the history of the Olympic Games and World Championships, Yoto Yotov certainly ranks among the most illustrious athletes of Bulgaria.

Weightlifting News / IWF.net / May 12

IWF120y/91 – 2004: Nataliya Skakun, the last Olympic winner for Ukraine

As with the other republics formerly integrated in the immense territory of the Soviet Union, Ukraine began to ‘exist’ independently since the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

Weightlifting News / IWF.net / May 11

IWF120y/90 – 1952: The start of an Olympic saga for Arkady Vorobyov (URS)

In the multitude of Soviet lifters that excelled at Olympic and world level between the 1950s and 1980s, Arkady Vorobyov emerges as the most successful and prolific one at the Games level, with two gold and one bronze medal.

Weightlifting News / IWF.net / May 10

IWF120y/89 – 2008: Maryam Usman, Nigeria’s strongest woman

Besides Egypt, an early and traditional powerhouse in our sport, the continent of Africa only medalled with two other countries at Olympic weightlifting events: Nigeria (one silver and one bronze) and Cameroon (one bronze).

Weightlifting News / IWF.net / May 9

IWF120y/88 – 2000: Iran celebrates its new star – Hossein Rezazadeh

Weightlifting symbolises strength, and the super heavyweight category is often associated with the ‘strongest men’ on earth. Lifters shining in this category are often elevated to a stardom status, both in the history of the sport and of their respective country.

Weightlifting News / IWF.net / May 8

IWF120y/87 – 1967: World Championships, an (almost) annual tradition

The 2024 IWF World Championships represented the 89th recognised edition of the IWF showcase, with the first one taking place in London, in the now distant year of 1891.

Weightlifting News / IWF.net / May 8

Lima, Review: Many ‘firsts’ and new countries shining at the highest level in Peru

There were plenty of ‘firsts’ at the 2025 World Youth and Junior Championships, which ended in Lima, Peru this week. This was the first time two age group

Weightlifting News / IWF.net / May 8

Update on IWF Bodyweight Categories

The IWF sent on May 7, 2025 the following communication to all its Member Federations: Following the recent decision of the IOC to include five (5) Women’s and five (5) Men’s Bodyweight Categories for the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028, the Men’s 98kg BW Category has been adjusted to 94kg.

Weightlifting News / IWF.net / May 7

IWF120y/86 – 2024: History in the making for Karlos Nasar (BUL)

It is not frequent to report on a 20-year-old athlete, still active and necessarily at the beginning of his career, in a series of historical milestones of an international federation.

Weightlifting News / IWF.net / May 6

IWF120y/85 – 1952: John Davis (USA) completes a 14-year winning streak with second Olympic gold

He was one of the weightlifting heroes in the years following World War II: US legend John Davis. Born in January 1921 in Brooklyn (New York), he was only 17 when he won in 1938 his first world title in Vienna (AUT).