Weightlifting: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights

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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 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).

Weightlifting News / IWF.net / May 5

Lima, Day 6: Iran’s big four dominate heavyweights with two 1-2 finishes on final day in Peru

Iran had a 1-2 finish in both the heaviest men’s events on the final day of the 2025 World Youth and Junior Championships in Lima, Peru. The women’s winners on an all-juniors programme were from Turkmenistan and Turkiye.

Weightlifting News / IWF.net / May 5

IWF120y/84 – 2008: Chen Yanqing (CHN) – fighting against all odds

This is the successful story of a lifter who could have remained in the most strict anonymity but ended up being the first Chinese female athlete in our Sport to win two (consecutive) Olympic gold medals.

Weightlifting News / IWF.net / May 4

Lima, Day 5: Brazil completes golden double, Venezuela has a new star and PRK wins Junior gold for first time since 2016

Mattheus Pessanha claimed a world record as he won at 102kg to complete a golden double for Brazil at the World Youth and Junior Championships in Lima, Peru.

Weightlifting News / IWF.net / May 4

IWF120y/83 – 1985: Yurik Vardanyan (URS) retires after a brilliant career

Armenia has no Olympic gold medallist in weightlifting so far, but the triumph of Yurik Vardanyan at the 1980 Moscow Games and the additional six titles at the World Championships makes him the best lifter so far in the country’s history.

Weightlifting News / IWF.net / May 3

Lima, Day 4: Simoneau wins again for Canada – and it’s ‘Super Saturday’ for Oceania thanks to Fiji, New Zealand and Samoa

There was a remarkable sight at the medal presentation after an entertaining women’s 71kg session at the World Youth and Junior Championships in Lima, Peru – weightlifters from Canada and New Zealand standing on the podium above an athlete from China.

Weightlifting News / IWF.net / May 3

IWF120y/82 – 2021: Meso Hassona becomes Qatar’s first Olympic champion

His name is Fares Ibrahim El-Bakh, but everyone knows him in the weightlifting world as Meso Hassona. Born in June 1998 and representing Qatar, he descends

Weightlifting News / IWF.net / May 2

Lima, Day 3: First world title for Albania and more gold for China as 22 nations make the podium in one day

The global strength of weightlifting was highlighted in Lima when athletes from 22 countries were on the podium on a truly international day at the World Youth and Junior Championships.

Weightlifting News / IWF.net / May 2

IWF/ITA Clean Sport Seminar gathers 100 participants of the Worlds in Peru!

On the third day of the IWF World Youth and Junior Championships, the IWF/ITA Clean Sport Seminar took place this morning in Lima, Peru, with the attendance of around 100 participants in the event.

Weightlifting News / IWF.net / May 2

IWF120y/81 – 2000: Soraya Jimenez (MEX) shines before a tragic decline

In 1997, when the International Olympic Committee decided on the introduction of women’s weightlifting in the Games programme (from Sydney 2000), Soraya Jimenez (MEX) was 20 years old.

Weightlifting News / IWF.net / May 1

Lima, Day 2: Delos Santos back from ‘dark times’ for sensational win as Philippines and China claim double victories

Albert Delos Santos from the Philippines was the star of a hectic second day at the 2025 World Youth and Junior Championships in Lima, Peru. He won the Junior 67kg title in dramatic fashion, posting 51kg more than his last competitive total after recovering from a bad back injury.

Weightlifting News / IWF.net / May 1

IWF120y/80 – 1992: German ace Ronny Weller reaches the top of a superb career

Born in July 1969 in what was then the German Democratic Republic, Ronny Weller was an accomplished example of an athlete successfully coping with the political changes that occurred in his country at the end of the 1980s.

Weightlifting News / IWF.net / April 30

Lima, Day 1: World records and glory for Brazil and Japan, and double gold for Philippines

There were three world records on a busy opening day of the 2025 World Youth and Junior Championships in Lima, Peru, where the two competitions were staged simultaneously on two platforms for the first time.

Olympics News / Field Level Media / August 12

China's Wenwen Li dominant in women's over 81kg weightlifting

PARIS -- China's Wenwen Li won her second Olympic gold medal with a dominant performance to take the title in the women's over 81kg weightlifting at the Summer Games on Sunday.

Olympics News / Yardbarker / August 8

Team USA weightlifter trained in a garage to win Olympic medal

On Wednesday, Hampton Morris became the first American male to win an Olympic medal in weightlifting in 40 years. And he did so while training in a garage at his family's Georgia home.

Olympics Day 13 briefing: Men's water-polo drama, U.S. runner's late surge and ice-skating medals?

From 'Rocky' to the GOAT: Best women's gymnastics routines at Paris Olympics

Let's not gloss over what Nikola Jokic achieved at Paris Olympics

The 20 biggest underdogs in sports movies

The 'Summer Olympics all-time medal leader' quiz

Olympics News / Field Level Media / August 7

China's Li Fabin defends Olympic gold; Hampton Morris takes bronze

PARIS -- China's Li Fabin retained the 61kg Olympic weightlifting title with a dominant performance and total lift of 310kg at the Paris Games on Wednesday, coming up just short in a bid to break his own world record.