IWF120y/19 – 1951: Pan-American federation, the first continental body

At the 1948 Congress In London, Vice-President Dietrich Wortmann from the USA, introduced an important subject into the discussion: the possible creation of continental federations. Forty-three years after the foundation of the IWF, his arguments were: “There should be a representative in each continent who should be officially responsible for holding all international meetings in that continent, supervising any international matters in his own district, and sending in reports and records” to the IWF. Three years later, in 1951, the first continental body is created in Buenos Aires: the Pan-American Weightlifting Federation. Presided by José L. Montalvo (ARG) one of its first missions was to help in the organisation of the first-ever Pan-American Games held on that year in the Argentinean capital, and where weightlifting was already part of the programme. Presently comprising 38 members in the Americas (traditionally including North, Central and Caribbean and South America), its headquarters are in accordance with its statutes where the President is located (presently in Lima, Peru). Under the auspices of the Pan-American Weightlifting Federation, continental championships are held annually: the 2024 event was successfully staged in Caracas (Venezuela) and this year’s showcase is programmed in Cali (Colombia). Pan-American athletes are quite successful at the IWF events – at the 2024 Worlds in Manama (Bahrain), they got 14 medals, while seven podium presences were proudly achieved some months earlier at the Paris Olympic Games.