IWF120y/79 – 2022: Bringing weightlifting to the street

In an effort to introduce innovation in the way our sport is presented to fans and reaches new audiences, the IWF, in collaboration with the Swiss Weightlifting Federation and Eleiko, organised in 2022 the first edition of the Street Weightlifting Championships, staged in Lausanne (SUI). The initiative attracted local and some international stars and was a huge popular success, with spectators watching the lifters performances some metres away from the platforms. Besides the new scenario – urban and outdoor – the competition format also differed from the regular weightlifting competitions. It included the concept of “team”, and even “mixed” teams. Altogether,14 athletes participated in seven teams (one female and one male per team): Team Austria, Team France, Team Germany, Team Italy, Team Switzerland and 2 combined teams, Team International (Colombia and Great Britain) and Team Ambassador (Malta and Qatar). The initiative was successfully organised in 2023 and 2024 (photo), always receiving the same enthusiasm from lifters and the local population. One of the tools to reinforce the “links” between lifters and fans was the organisation of a bench press exhibition open to everyone, as well as a demonstration of street workouts (thus bringing together athletes and spectators). Besides the Olympic capital in Switzerland, other nations around the world have implemented similar initiatives in recent years, proving that the opportunities for innovation continue to grow.