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2015 World Weightlifting Championships *Huge Doping Bust*

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houston worlds logoThis is the overview post for the 2015 IWF World Weightlifting Championships in Houston, Texas.

On Instagram or Twitter use hashtag #2015wwc.

Useful Links:

Doping News

Update 15.07.2016: CAS dismisses Lovchev’s appeal. (via)

Update 16.05.2016: No news, Lovchev still trying to go to CAS.

Other than that the bans still stand at 4 years for Lovchev, Kosov, and Olga Afanasieva (she announced the end of her weightlifting career). Olga Zubova got 8 and of course also announced that she is done with weightlifting (via)

Update 08.03.2016: Lovchev’s B Sample came back positive too (via)

Update 21.02.2016:
Reuters reports that the late Russian anti-doping agency boss, Nikita Kamayev, was set to expose true story to the Sunday Times and also write a book about sport pharmacology. (via)

Update 27.01.2016:

  • Head coaches Venkov and Vidov have been suspended by the Russian Weightlifting Federation. (via)
  • Temporary in charge (for Europeans preparation) will be Gennady Anakanov (men’s team) and Cyril Zavadzkaya (women’s team). Anakanov is Apti’s coach by the way.

Update 23.01.2016: Lovchev will soon travel to Canada for the opening of his B sample in the Montreal WADA lab (via)

Update 14.01.2016: Head Coaches Venkov and Vidov don’t appear on a list of Russian weightlifting coaches for 2016. (via).
The minister of sports, Mutko, said a decision about the coaches will be made after the Lovchev case is closed. (via)

Update 13.01.2016:

  • Russian Weightlifting Federation requested the opening of the B sample for Lovchev (via)

Update 11.01.2016:

  • Kazakhs don’t want the B sample to be opened (by the lab in Montreal), fearing biased results (via)

Update 25.12.2015:

  • Mutko wants to involve the police if Lovchev is proven guilty. (via)
  • Interview with Lovchev’s father
  • Syrtsov said Lovchev didn’t take ipamorelin (via)
  • They sent in Lovchev’s supps for examination (via)
  • IWF may take away Russia’s Olympic spots (via)

Update 24.12.2015: Mutko (Russian Minister of Sports) says Lovchev declared the use of ipamorelin, which he used to help heal his knee injury. (via)

Translation from reader Denisssss:

“This is a huge disappointment, – said Mutko. – But we will work on Lovchev, because his blood tests are OK. We must clarify it. The substance was declared. Lovchev tore his lateral ligament. Maybe the concentration was wrong. Maybe we have a chance on him. What about others – this is a complete irresponsibility”. In Mutko’s opinion, RFWF president Sergey Syrtsov must be personally responsible for the doping scandal involving four athletes. “The team left clean and tested. We must deal with personal coaches and doctors. And with the weightlifitng federation president”. Mutko also said that they will struggle for Lovchev. “I can’t respond for everybody all the time. It is coaches and athletes own choice. They leave for competitions being absolutely tested. Who takes doping? I think we’ll struggle for him. Once again – we’ll support Lovchev until sanctions are imposed. We believe in him. I repeat, the substance was declared. And it was submitted in the corresponding permission. There must be presumption of innocence for athletes, an investigation must be held and the B sample must be examined. Until that moment no one is permitted to publish anything. We need a disciplinary commission decision. And now everyone is putting the carriage before the horse”.

Update 24.12.2015: IWF has posted a bulk update of new suspensions (17!).

  • Aleksey Lovchev (+105kg, Russia, 1st) for ipamorelin. (via)
  • Olga Zubova (75kg, Russia, 3rd) for methenolone. (via)
  • Aleksei Kosov (94kg, Russia, 7th) for deyhdrochlormethyltestosterone. (via)
  • Olga Afanasieva (69kg, Russia, 4th) for deyhdrochlormethyltestosterone. (via)
  • Dadash Dadashbeyli (105kg, Azerbaijan, 9th place) for nadrolone and boldenone. (via)
  • Intiqam Zairov (94kg, Azerbaijan, 9th) for nandrolone and deyhdrochlormethyltestosterone. (via)
  • Firidun Guliyev (69kg, Azerbaijan, 6th) for nandrolone. (via)
  • Nastassia Novikava (58kg, Belarus, 4th) for deyhdrochlormethyltestosterone. (via)
  • Aleksandr Venskel (94kg, Belarus, 4th) for deyhdrochlormethyltestosterone. (via)
  • Eftychia Ananiadou (+75kg, Greece, 20th) for deyhdrochlormethyltestosterone. (via)
  • Almas Uteshov (94kg, Kazakhstan, 2nd) for methenolone and deyhdrochlormethyltestosterone. (via)
  • Zhassulan Kydyrbayev (94kg, Kazakhstan, 3rd) for deyhdrochlormethyltestosterone. (via)
  • Ermek Omirtay  (85kg, Kazakhstan, DNF) for deyhdrochlormethyltestosterone. (via)
  • Iurie Bulat (85kg, Moldova, 13th) for deyhdrochlormethyltestosterone. (via)
  • Artiom Pipa (77kg, Moldova, 13th) for deyhdrochlormethyltestosterone. (via)
  • Ryo Un Hui (69kg, North Korea, 5th) for letrozole. (via)
  • Kim Kwang Song (77kg, North Korea, 2nd) for letrozole. (via)

Houston Anti-Doping Commision Wrap up says there were more than 200 tests carried out (out of about 587 athletes) and 24 adverse analytical findings and two new findings in peptide hormones, growth factors, related substances and mimetics.

Potential Penalties for Countries¹

Azerbaijan:

  • 6 offenses, 5 repeats – $200,000 fine. 2 year suspension if defaulted, Two quota places may be withdrawn from Rio Qualification.

North Korea:

  • 3 offenses – $50,000, 1 year suspension if defaulted. In addition to these there was a ban at the 2014WWC which is included in the Rio Qualifying period. This might increase them to 4 violations if it’s within a calendar year which would mean 1 quota spot may be deducted and fine increased.

Russia:

  • 4 offenses, 1 repeat – $100,000 fine. 2 year suspension if defaulted. 1 quota placement may be deducted

1Using the IWF sanction page. PDF sources: Anti-Doping Policy, page 61 & Rio Qualification System, page 2. I can’t find anything if this is sex specific when quotas are being deducted, it only mentions member federations.

On a side note the Indian Weightlifting Federation is 1 ban off another suspension (if a fine is defaulted) after two of their athletes were caught before competing at the World Championships. (via)

My Personal Opinion: 

Personally I am just sad as I know a lot of these athletes personally and know what is at stake for them here. Livelihoods/ careers are being destroyed here.

Now I know many don’t share my opinion, that I am not against doping*, and that’s okay. I will always be 100% on the side of the athletes, if they test positive or not.

What’s happening here is just politics and the athletes are the pawns that go down first.

Doping has and always will play a huge role in all sports so it just annoys me that we don’t get to see best of the best anytime soon. – Gregor

*Clarification: *if I would be against it, I would have to stop covering anything that has to do with professional sports (not just weightlifting), just to be logically consistent and not a hypocrite.

Update 16.12.2015: First results are in.

(14.12.15): The IWF has posted 4 public disclosures, most likely from worlds, not sure if it’ll affect team standings.

Highlights

(04.12.15): Updated the Qualification pages with the latest country team points. Read more from the iwf here.

Mart Seim Clean & Jerking 248kg for silver in C&J and Bronze in the Total.



(01.12.15): Aleksey Lovchev had a short interview on allsportinfo.ru where he mentions he ruptured his knee ligaments a month before the World Championships, his current plan is to rest and prepare for the Olympics. He also mentions in the months running up to the World Championships he didn’t Clean and Jerk more than 240kg (via).

(29.11.15): The IWF added this statement to their website:

The International Weightlifting Federation herewith notifies its Member Federations that due to the complexity of the Olympic Qualification points calculation with regard to the sanctions concerning Bulgaria and the obligation to coordinate the issue with the International Olympic Committee, THE RIO 2016 QUALIFICATION STATUS of the countries after the 2015 IWF World Championships WILL ONLY BE PUBLISHED NEXT WEEK, latest by Friday, 4 December 2015.

Results Book added. Team Qualifications added (Men / Women).

(28.11.15): +105kg A session: Aleksey Lovchev (Russia) secures 3 gold medals after Snatching 211kg and Clean and Jerking 248kg. On his last spare lift he takes a 16kg jump and breaks the Clean and Jerk plus Total World Record. The old records stood at 263kg and 472kg set by Hossein Rezazadeh (Iran) at the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games. The new records now owned by Lovchev stand at 264kg and 475kg. Amazing way to end the last day of the World Champs.

(27.11.15): 105kg A session: Alexander Zaichikov (Kazakhstan) Snatches 191kg + Clean and Jerks 230kg to win gold in the total.

David Bedzhanyan (Russia) attempts an epic 242kg Clean and Squat Jerk.

75kg A session: Rim Jong Sim (75kg, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) got an injury during the Snatch and had three gutsy attempts during the Clean and Jerk. She won 3 silver medals. IWF written review.

“Alexander Venkov: Artem Okulov and Apti Auhadiev considered to be the main candidates for the Olympic team of Russia” (via)

Ksenia’s injury: “Fortunately, a survey conducted in the US clinic did not confirm the presence of any gaps joints and brittle bones”. (via)

105kg B session: Dadas Dadashbeyli (105kg, Azerbaijan) weighed in at 98.38kg and secured a 185kg Snatch. He finished with a 395kg total by Clean and Jerking his opener of 210kg.

(26.11.15) Sadly Lydia Valentin (75kg, Spain) pulls out of competition with a back injury.

69kg A session: Xiang Yanmei (China) wins 3 gold medals with a 120kg Snatch (4kg lead) and a 143kg Clean and Jerk (3kg lead).

Defending World Champion Ryo Un Hui (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) managed to get silver in the Snatch but couldn’t follow through on the Clean and Jerk. Zhazira Zhapparkul (Kazakhstan) got two silvers by Clean and Jerking 140kg and totalling 256kg. Anastasiia Romanova (Russia) got three bronze medals with 116kg, 137kg and 253kg.

Youth Lifter Sara Ahmed gained a lot of strength since the China Grand Prix, she has lifted in 5 international events in almost a year and managed to get personal bests of 110kg and 135kg. Highlights.

94kg A session: Kakhi Kakhiashvili’s (Greece) 188kg World Record Snatch remains untouched as the event ended with a lot of missed lifts.

After missing two attempts at 180kg Aurimas Didzbalis (Lithunia) secured a silver medal in the Snatch after a heroic fight on his last attempt. Meanwhile Youth World Record holder for the Snatch, Alexsey Kosov (Russia) wins a Snatch gold medal with 181kg.

Defending Champion Zhassulan Kydyrbaev (Kazakhstan) secured three bronze medals with 178kg, 221kg and 339kg. His team mate Almas Uteshov finished with 172kg, 230kg and 402kg which got him silver in the Total and Clean and Jerk.

Vadzim Straltsou (Belarus) won with 175kg, 230kg and 405kg. There were also two failed attempts at breaking Ilya Ilyin’s 233kg Clean and Jerk Record. Highlights.

(25.11.15): 63kg A session: Deng Wei (63kg, China) breaks a new Clean and Jerk World Record and secures three golds. Highlights.

85kg A session: Tian Tao (China) Snatches 178kg to secure a gold medal. Not far off his 180kg training/test Snatches we’ve seen. Kianoush Rostami (Iran) tried to match Tian and win by bodyweight but couldn’t secure it overhead, he came third place. Artem Okulov (Russia) came second with 176kg and a personal best.

Moving into the Clean and Jerk Tian Tao opened at 211kg but missed all three attempts. Apti Aukhadov (Russia) secured a 212kg Clean and Jerk which gave him bronze overall. Rostami opened at 214kg but then missed the two next attempts which would take him back into first place. 218kg was dropped behind after a successful jerk and 219kg for the world record got red lights for an elbow touch. Artem Okulov went 6 out of 6 finishing on 215kg and a 391kg Total. He also had 220kg on the scoreboard for a small amount of time. Final Scoreboard (Twitter). Recordings. Highlights.

Dmitry Klokov pause snatches 200kg!

(24.11.15): 77kg A session: Lyu Xiaojun (China) takes the lead in the Snatch with 175kg then attempts a new world record at 177kg but gets squeezed out.

Nijat Rahimov (Kazakhstan) Clean and Jerks 207kg, 12kg more than his first attempt, to win the Clean and Jerk plus Total. He attempted a 211kg Clean and Jerk world record but missed the lift.

Kim Kwang Song (People’s Republic of Korea) came second. Mohamed Ehab (Egypt) came third in the Clean and Jerk plus Total, making a personal best Clean and Jerk and hitting a Snatch 1kg beneath his all time best. Highlights.

(23.11.15): 77kg B session: Elkhan Aligulizada (77kg, Azerbaijan) finished the group with a new Junior World Record Clean and Jerk, 203kg!

69kg session: Daniyar Ismayilov (Turkey) gets gold in the snatch by repeating his 160kg snatch. He was lighter than Oleg Chen (Russia) who also snatched 160kg.

Shi Zhiyong (China) placed 3rd in the Snatch but won the Total by Clean and Jerking 190kg. Video Highlights.

58kg session: Boyanka Kostova (Azerbaijan) sets a new World Record Snatch and Total. She went 112kg in the Snatch, 140kg in the Clean and Jerk which is 252kg in the Total. She also became the first ever Azerbaijan medal winner in women’s weightlifting at the world championships. Video Highlights.

(22.11.15): 62kg session: Chen Lijun (China) breaks the World Record Clean and Jerk + Total.

53kg session: Chen Xiaoting (53kg, China) saves this Snatch to take the lead into the Clean and Jerk. She also attempted a 104kg World Record Snatch.

Hsu Shu-Ching (Chinese Taipei) Clean and Jerks 125kg. Here’s some video highlights.

(21.11.15): 48kg session: Youth Lifter Jiang Huihua (China) wins with an 88kg Snatch + 110kg Clean and Jerk.

56kg session: Wu Jingbiao (56kg, China) breaks the Snatch World Record with 139kg (the same amount he snatched at Chinese Nationals). The old record was set by Halil Mutlu (56kg, Turkey) in 2001.

Om Yun Chol (56kg, PRK) breaks his own 170kg Clean and Jerk record by 1kg and secures gold in the total.
Read an overview here.

Yang Chin-Yi (Chinese Taipei) didn’t lift in the 56kg session because he tested positive for testosterone.

The IWF has posted a preview page with trivia for all the weightclasses. For example, did you know China has won 32 of the 39 world titles in the women 48kg category (since 1998)? Check them out, all in PDF format (some are a little outdated, for example the +105kg says Albegov is competing).

Lasha Talakhadze (+105kg, Georgia) Snatches 200kg for two singles and Clean and Jerks up to 240kg.

(20.11.15): The Two Doctors Podcast put out an +1hr long session previewing the World Championships.

To prevent overcrowding this page with training hall videos I’ve set up the 2015 Training Hall Videos post.

Mohammed Ehssan (+105kg, Egypt) does a 195/240/235 training total.

Update 19.11.15: The Polish Team prepare for worlds.

CCTV coverage of the stage, warm up area + Lu Xiaojun.

The Final Start List is up.

Bulgaria is planning on coming to worlds with: Stilian Grozdev, Petar Angelov, Alexander Dimitrov Bozhidar Andreev and Vasil Gospodinov. They want to sue the IWF (because they proved the supplements which gave a positive test were contaminated) and through that gain eligibility to go to Rio, thus they need to go to Worlds to gain spots. (via)

Update 17.11.15:  Russian weightlifters Ruslan Albegov (+105kg) and Khetag Khugaev (94kg) are not going to the compete, reserves Alexey Kosov (94kg) and Timur Naniev (105kg) will compete instead (via). Timur Naniev recently did an interview here on the Russian Weightlifting Federation’s website.

Hookgrip posted a Russian Women’s World Team montage!

13.11.2015: Hookgrip posted a cool Chinese Women’s World Team montage.

Update 12.11.2015: Colombia’s World Team has been announced (via), it’s worth noting that although athletes appear on the entry list and the Colombia Olympic Committee’s website, that two of the athletes have said they are not participating. @ = athlete’s instagram accounts.

Update 11.11.2015: There’s a new updated entry list [PDF], the final one comes out on the evening of the 18th. Also, Ermek Omirtay beat Aidar Kazov in an internal competition and will go to worlds now. (via) No Sohrab Moradi on that list too.

Update 07.11.2015: Russian Team Announced (via & via).

Reserve:

Reserve:

Update 06.11.2015: Luis Mosquera is not going. Has been having back injury for a while.

Update 05.11.2015: Kazakhs take Maya Maneza to Houston (as 69kg) (via)

Update 02.11.2015: Changes in the Kazakh Team (via)

  • Selimkhan Abubakarov (18 year old +105kg) will go to the President’s Cup instead.
  • Anna Nurmukhambetova (75 kg) is injured
  • Ermek Omirtay or Aidar Kazov will go to worlds now. (Update: 11.11.2015)
  • Zhassulan feeling confident (via). Does 185+230 regularly. Focus is on earning Olympic spots.

Iran: Kianoush posted a photo of him in a hospital bed. Thanks to reader GHM for the translation.

Hello to my friends. Pray for me because I had a simple surgical procedure and I just woke up. I thank my friends Mr. Mehran Raiesi and Dr. Davoud Bagheri who helped me in these hard times. Do not worry I will be Ok for the worlds. Ya Ali (Iranian pray to saint Ali that is similar to Rezazadeh saying Ya Abolfazl before lifting or M. Nassiri back in sixties).

Moldova: Christina Iovu won’t start at worlds (yes she is training in Moldova right now).

Update 30.10.2015: “Final” entries list (PDF). Post your findings in the comments. “Final” because I talked to some Russians and they don’t even know who will be on the worlds team. They will have their selection competition soon. The final Final Start List will be the Start Book that gets published after final entries have been confirmed (usually a day or two before competition).

Trivia:

  • 745 609 competitors listed including reserves
  • ~22 current world record holders
  • Ivan Stoitsov is on the list.
  • Annie Thorisdottir and Katrin Tanja Davidsdottir (2015 Crossfit Games Winner) are on the list.
  • Jiri Orsag’s first int’ comp since his sanction
  • Youngest: Clarence Cummings (69kg), 06.06.2000 15 years old, 306 entry total
  • Oldest: Tom Goegebuer (56kg), 27.03.1975, 40 years old, 250 entry total, 12th Worlds, 14 including Olympic Games

Chinese Teams have been announced (via, via)

Update 27.10.2015: Behdad Salimi injured his knee and won’t participate (via). It’s being reported that he tore his ACL (via) This is most likely the 262kg attempt which caused the injury.


Update 18.10.2015: Iranian Team (via)

Update 08.10: Kazakh Team was announced:

Recordings

About Gregor Winter

Hi, I run ATG.

Follow me on instagram @gregorwinter (and ATG @atginsta).

Comments

  1. Anton Mårtensson says

    Well, here i was hoping for a 105+ battle. I wish all the best to Behdad and i hope he recovers quickly.

    • mrtn86 says

      if he really teared his cruciate ligament, he will need much more than 2 months for recovery.

        • Armin Tamzarian says

          some guy in my gym had the same kind of injury and had to recover for about a year, meaning no heavy squats and such. Supposing Behdad Salimi has a staff of medical and pharmacological experts surrounding him 8 months seems realistic.

          • mrtn86 says

            8 months could mean no rio for salimi! he would have 2 months to prepare – and a significant training deficit, which is absolutely unrealistic to overcome in such a short time.

            in soccer teared crucial ligaments are one of the worst and most frequently suffered injures. players with the best medical treatment need 6-8 months in average to be back on the field,
            if behdad has the same injury, i think 90:10 that he is out for olympic games in rio.

  3. Roberto says

    do you guys have more information about this injury? It was meniscus, ligament, patella?

  4. Magneto says

    Get well soon, Behdad! Man, Iranian weightlifting has kind of a “down” currently…

    • Magneto says

      After reading the article (thanks Arthur09!) … Sedov left Team Astana by mutual agreement after a conflict with an older coach and decided to train alone with another coach, then injured himself. Still can qualify for Rio through participation in Asian championships. Pavlov is fine. It is the plan for him to focus on Rio and get his necessary second participation in a Grand Prix in China later this year.

      • Cccp says

        Well with all due respect, Sedov was being stubborn when he was training with team astana I guess like he wanted to go on his own system without the cooperation of the coaches. And decided to train alone with his “new coach” as a result he Injured himself. We all know that he is an elite lifter but If I were him I would have stayed with team astana and I’d follow their respective systems like cooperating with the coaches, trusting the process and progress of training.

          • Magneto says

            They applied the same system/coaching and the hierarchy is clear. The only way to change that is by doing something different. Anyway, Sedov totaled 407 – Ilyins best being 418. He is not far away and he is the better snatcher, so he got that going for him 🙂

  7. Victor says

    I’m surprised they released that footage of Salimi getting injured. I don’t know if I want something like that floating around if I were him. Google Sa Jae Hyouk before London and it’s all pics of him getting the gold in Beijing. Google him now and it’s all pics of him breaking his arm in 2012. I wouldn’t be happy about that if I were him.

    • Luc Lapierre says

      I don’t think that these two incidents are quite comparable in that way, since Jae Hyouk’s injury occurred on the Olympic stage on live TV. Consequently, we got lots of general public ignorant of WL saying “haha look st00pid w8lifter get hurt lol”. The Salimi IG post probably isn’t going to circulate very much outside of the WL community, which is comparatively small.

  9. Douglas Heeren says

    I hope he recovers. Nothing worse than being injured and not being able to lift.

    • choij95 says

      im guessing they would rather have him prepare for olympic? im excited for new shi zhiyong tho

    • wlift84 says

      Liao Hui is not national champion, everyone entered is. Nationals is serious business in China.

    • anonyymi says

      No Abubakarov on the “final” entries list. Wonder if the Kazakhs won`t send him to Houston afterall. 56, 77, 85 and 94, 105 are gonna be very interesting battles. +105 has some interesting names listed on too.

    • wlift84 says

      Nurmukhambetova is also missing. Sabanchiev not included as reserve. No Rybakou either 🙁 – he snatched 180 earlier this month.

      Zubova risen form the dead however.

        • wlift84 says

          We need a Belarus correspondent. 🙂 No, I don’t know anything special. I would’ve expected him to be here since he can still medal in the snatch even though his total is no longer at the top. Given his absence I would not expect him to be at the OG, but maybe he returns once more at next Euros.

          • Jerker Karlsson says

            Ok, I hope he returns at least once more, although his best results are behind him with all probability. Belarus really had two top lifters in him and Aramnau.

            • Artur09 says

              In late October, Rybakov participated in the
              championship of Belarus,
              qualifying for the WWC. Weighed in at 87,5 kg in 94 kg category. His total sum
              was less that of STRALTSOU by 37
              kg, and in the category of 85 would be less that of ASAYONAK
              by 13 kg.

                  • Jerker Karlsson says

                    Thanks for the info. No wonder they send Asayonak, he earned it. Good to see Rybakou is still fighting to earn a spot though.

                    I find it a bit strange that Rybakou can still snatch 180 kg, but can’t manage more than 190 kg in the clean and jerk in the same competition. He is rather old for an elite lifter, and isn’t speed and flexibility – the qualities needed in the snatch more than in the clean and jerk – what an athlete loses first? Strength is easier to uphold at 30+, or so I’ve been told. Intuitively I think that the snatch should suffer the most as an athlete gets older, slower and less agile.

                  • Magneto says

                    He is now back at his junior numbers, closing in on 95% snatch/cj ratio 😀 … he is old, his body is wrecked, his quads have vanished but he is still snatching world class weights and has the passion for the sport.

                    Love this guy!

      • PJ says

        IWF let the Iranian federation to include his name in initial start list but still they didn’t clear him to compete YET. he is still waiting for IWF’s decision

        • anonyymi says

          We all just need to wait with fingers crossed for IWF’s decision. I really hope they let him compete because if I have understood right the Iranian federation is guilty for his situation, not himself.

    • mrtn86 says

      i think for many athletes (e.g. the germans) they have posted their best results, not the entry totals.

    • logicalfellac says

      Ivan Stoitsov on the list. LOL! Will he ever compete again on the international stage?

    • Jerker Karlsson says

      I’m hoping for a great battle in the 85 kg class. Kianoush Rostami and Tian Tao have both previously claimed they want the world record in the clean and jerk, and both have done 220 kg in training if I am not mistaken. Beside them, Okulov and Aukhadov could both be in good form, and we have two other lifters with bigger entry totals posted (which doesn’t necessarily mean much, but it certainly is interesting).

      Looking forward to the 85 kg class.

      • Ivan Bista says

        As always, The class for me 🙂
        No Rybakou, but his countryman Asayonak sets my hope high for Belarus. The battle in this class simply again cannot be not great!

        • Jerker Karlsson says

          I have never seen Asayonak lift, and the only thing I find on Youtube is a squat video. It will be nice to see a new lifter (for me). I hope he can battle it out with the rest of the top entries. The more the merrier. 🙂

            • Jerker Karlsson says

              Thanks for the link, his clean and jerk of 189 looked real snappy, but the two misses on 195 seemed alot heavier for him. His result at the Belaruse championships suggests he is better at the clean and jerk. But maybe the 170 kg snatch was his first lift and he missed the other two.

              Anyhow, excited to see him in Houston. The 383 kg total he did in October is promising.

    • Spam Account says

      Nurudinov has the 16th or 17th heaviest entry total in the -105 category. In 2014 there were only 11 lifters in the “A” flight. Might Nurudinov end up lifting in the “B” flight?!?! Or will he be allowed to change his entry total? (I did try to answer my own question, but I failed…)

    • Alexey says

      Russian teams announced
      Women: Turieva, Maximova (both – 63); Afanasieva, Romanova (both – 69); Evstyukhina, Zubova (both – 75) and Kashirina (75+).
      Men: Chen (69); Getts (77); Aukhadov, Okulov (both – 85); Khugaev (94); Bedzhanyan (105); Albegov, Lovchev (both – 105+).

    • Michael says

      Anyone has some info about Yenny Alvarez too? I Thought I saw her a couple times at competitions this year but I believe she never competed?

    • wlift84 says

      Something for Victor: Arli Chontey, the Kazakh 56, is also from China. He began in Hunan and was in the system for 11 years, moved to KAZ in 2011.

    • Leon says

      What a bummer. No Albegov and Khugaev. It seems to me Lovchev is the man to beat in the super heavyweights.

  12. Johan says

    Anyone know if Eurosport will broadcast the event? Is there an alternate way to see this in live (in Europe, France)?

  13. Johan says

    If anyone is interested: the French Weightlifting Federation has announced the french team.

    HOMMES (men)

    69 kg : Yann AUCOUTURIER (Clermont Sports)

    69 kg : Bernardin KINGUE MATAM (LF Besançon)

    85 kg : Giovanni BARDIS (Clermont Sports)

    85 kg : Benjamin HENNEQUIN (EA Saint-Médard)

    94 kg : David MATAM MATAM (LF Besançon)

    94 kg : Redon MANUSHI (VGA St-Maur Haltérophilie)

    +105 kg: Kevin BOULY (Reims HM)

    FEMMES (women)

    48 kg : Anaïs MICHEL (AAJ Blois)

    48 kg : ManonLORENTZ (SR Obernai HM)

    58 kg : Dora TCHAKOUNTE (Blanc Mesnil Sport)

    75 kg : GaëlleNAYO KETCHANKE (Clermont Sports)

    + 75 kg : Madeleine YAMECHI SIELANOU (CM Orléans)

    Source: http://www.ffhmfac.fr/Halterophilie/Actualites/Championnats-du-monde-2015-les-selectionnes-enfin-connus

    🙂

  14. Den says

    Gregor, did you try to translate words from Kianoush’s instagram from Arabic language? I did so and got something hard to understand. But then I tried Persian and everything became OK. But what was the operation for is still not clear.

    • GHM says

      Translation:
      Hello to my friends. Pray for me because I had a simple surgical procedure and I just woke up. I thank my friends Mr. Mehran Raiesi and Dr. Davoud Bagheri who helped me in these hard times. Do not worry I will be Ok for the worlds. Ya Ali (Iranian pray to saint Ali that is similar to Rezazadeh saying Ya Abolfazl before lifting or M. Nassiri back in sixties).

      “Arabic language” Iranian language can be called Farsi or Persian. It is
      a similar difference between French and English. Here is Kianoush
      Instagram translation. I have a bad feeling he had hernia or appendices
      operation. He should not lift in Houston IMO and risk injury.

  15. sporting says

    Dark horse in 69s for a medal, my countryman Briken Calja. Was an excellent youth/junior lifter hopefully will have a breakout performance.

  17. R.L. says

    If Salimi has torn his ACL, is it likely he will be able to compete at Rio – or compete in decent shape? My reference for recovery time for an ACL injury is NFL and football, and apart from Adrian Peterson, it is the better part of 12 months. And on top of that, they still need further time to regain form – again, apart from Adrian Peterson, who only needed about 8 months.

  18. David Oliveira says

    Exactly the russian team that I expected, except that Romanova is going instead of Shainova.

    Lovchev is missing in the list. From what I understood using the translator, he’s also going.

  19. Anton Mårtensson says

    I just asked Apti his best snatch and clean and jerk. He answered ”One nine hundred” and ”two five hundred” does anyone know what he means?

    • Phil says

      Thanks for this, looks like it’s 100% confirmed now, I was hoping there might be a small chance :(.

  21. Anton Mårtensson says

    Your kidding? I was so looking forward to Albegov! Hopefully though he will perform somewhat good at the President’s Cup.

    • Pedik says

      what a point to permorm good to him? i think he will get 1st place with something like 204/250 at second attempts and cancel third’s

  22. Basement Lifter says

    I am hoping to watch this on a stream. I do not believe I have ESPN 3, in fact, I’ve never heard of it.

    • LNP says

      ESPN 3 is online not on TV. It streams the live sporting events that usually aren’t on TV. You can get the WatchESPN app which is pretty much the same thing as ESPN 3 so you can watch it that way as well.

  23. LNP says

    I think you accidentally scratched David Bedzhanyan instead of Khetag Khugaev from the russian startlist. Unless he’s out too.

    • Phil says

      Thanks, appreciate it. There were some formatting issues earlier. It’d be gutting if he didn’t compete lol! Apparently the Russian team are arriving soon.

  25. Worlds15 says

    Surprisingly, Ruslan nurudinov is not on the list. He’s going to compete at presidents cup in russia I guess. And Ilya might push extra hard.

    • Den says

      It would be nice if Ilya’s plans for easy competition ath the Cup were broken, becuase he doesn’t want to finish his line of constant victories. Easiness and nothing to make him work super hard – that’s what Ilya chose the Cup for

    • Den says

      It would be nice if Ilya’s plans for easy competition ath the Cup were broken, becuase he doesn’t want to finish his line of constant victories. Easiness and nothing to make him work super hard – that’s what Ilya chose the Cup for

  26. David Oliveira says

    That lift by Ismayilov is mouth-watering!

    Bad to see no Nurudinov at the final list though. I hope that has to do with tactical purposes and not with some sort of injury.

    The 69’s are going to be either a huge show or a bomb-out fest. Many lifters are with entry totals much above what I think they can do.

    • Phil says

      Yeah it sucks, although it might make for a better show if he does turn up at the president’s cup.

      I’m worried about that too but we’ll see on the day. Exciting times!

  28. Alexey says

    “he had two attempts at breaking Oleg Chen‘s (RUS) 157kg u23 record.”

    Are there records in U23 category? Never heard about them…

  29. GHM says

    No ESPN3 Coverage on Friday 20. The coverage starts on Saturday. All times are in Eastern Daylight time (Houston is one hour behind.
    http://espn.go.com/watchespn/index#type/upcoming/startDate/20151121/

    International Weightlifting Federation
    Saturday Nov 21st (US way of showing date 11/21)
    4:00 PM EST (Houston: 3 PM) 2015 IWF World Weightlifting Championships

    6:30 PM EST 2015 IWF World Weightlifting Championships

    8:30 PM EST 2015 IWF World Weightlifting Championships

  32. Matt says

    No Ruslan, Ilyin, Salimi, or Albegov. Damn, I was stoked to see a heavyweight battle. Bedzhanyan could def. WR, and Lovchev seems like the clear favourites. Im so fired up!

    • Phil says

      Hopefully we’ll see them before the end of the year, it’d be nice to see them all compete at the Olympics, against each other. Hopefully those medals push them even more.

      I haven’t seen much training footage from Lovchev, I hope he gets back to 100% after seeing his 220kg block snatch and russian record.

  33. wlift84 says

    Phil, is it possible to put up a spoiler which one has to click to see all of the old team updates and videos? The page gets quite long even with the swapping.

    • Phil says

      Yeah I agree, thanks for the suggestion. I’ve moved some more of the videos over to the training hall post. Need to add some pagination or something like that.

      In the mean time the front page of the website cuts the post down to the livestream, the daily schedule and the most recent video, that might be better until I clean this up a little more.

  34. David Oliveira says

    Very good result from the korean athlete in the 48kg class. Even more considering that she was competing in group B.

    On less positive news, Yang Chin-yi(that was supposed to compete for TPE later today in the men’s 56kg group A) is out with a positive doping test.

    • Phil says

      Ah, I didn’t realise he was on the start list. Oh well. I saw someone also got sanctioned for D-methamphetamine :/.

    • Phil says

      Ah, I didn’t realise he was on the start list. Oh well. I saw someone also got sanctioned for D-methamphetamine :/.

    • GHM says

      I am really uneasy with all problems IAAF has with drug cover up. I have a feeling WADA may actually go after a 2nd sport and weightlifting has always been a good candidate. I suggest football but they have their own headache with Blatter.

    • GHM says

      I am really uneasy with all problems IAAF has with drug cover up. I have a feeling WADA may actually go after a 2nd sport and weightlifting has always been a good candidate. I suggest football but they have their own headache with Blatter.

  35. GHM says

    IWF: Rule change please!

    Thailand 56 lifter has to follow his 120 with 123 in one minute because another lifter who was suppose to do 123 changed his first attempt.
    I suggest normal 2 minutes if athlete follows him/herself regardless.

  36. GHM says

    IWF: Rule change please!

    Thailand 56 lifter has to follow his 120 with 123 in one minute because another lifter who was suppose to do 123 changed his first attempt.
    I suggest normal 2 minutes if athlete follows him/herself regardless.

    • Victor says

      I didn’t like it either, but hey; what sport doesn’t have controversies? I’m ok with it. Wasn’t the ugliest thing I’ve seen. But I give Om major brownie points for how tough he is. He cleaned 175 and it didn’t look too difficult except that he couldn’t even attempt the jerk. He’s never failed a huge clutch lift.

      Can’t say Wu wasn’t good; he was fantastic, especially for a tall skinny guy (as tall as 56 gets). I really think the Chinese coaches should have kept Long in there even if he couldn’t lift respectably. Wu was tired after 163; if they put all 3 of Long’s attempts in between Wu’s 163 and 166, that would have been 5 more precious minutes of rest for Wu, 6 minutes total plus whatever time the plate change could buy. And all Long would have to do is strut around on the stage like a diva 3 times.

      • wlift84 says

        It’s disapointing because the snatch WR was without fault but the cj WR (and the title) wasn’t. If Wu was out of position and stumbled backwards with shaking arms but got the down signal for a millisecond I wouldn’t be happy either.

        Also Long is a mess. I thought he was good for 135/165 for sure. And yeah, why not give him the chance for a cj bronze/silver?

        • Victor says

          Well, Long might have been in a bad place mentally and they didn’t want him to hurt himself. That’s basically all I can think of. He’s not good to challenge Om’s WR and he’s no good for a total so having him go up and do 165 and risk injury is kinda pointless. Chinese really don’t care about any medals other than gold. I still think they should have used his attempt to buy Wu resting time though.

        • Victor says

          Well, Long might have been in a bad place mentally and they didn’t want him to hurt himself. That’s basically all I can think of. He’s not good to challenge Om’s WR and he’s no good for a total so having him go up and do 165 and risk injury is kinda pointless. Chinese really don’t care about any medals other than gold. I still think they should have used his attempt to buy Wu resting time though.

      • wlift84 says

        It’s disapointing because the snatch WR was without fault but the cj WR (and the title) wasn’t. If Wu was out of position and stumbled backwards with shaking arms but got the down signal for a millisecond I wouldn’t be happy either.

        Also Long is a mess. I thought he was good for 135/165 for sure. And yeah, why not give him the chance for a cj bronze/silver?

    • Victor says

      I didn’t like it either, but hey; what sport doesn’t have controversies? I’m ok with it. Wasn’t the ugliest thing I’ve seen. But I give Om major brownie points for how tough he is. He cleaned 175 and it didn’t look too difficult except that he couldn’t even attempt the jerk. He’s never failed a huge clutch lift.

      Can’t say Wu wasn’t good; he was fantastic, especially for a tall skinny guy (as tall as 56 gets). I really think the Chinese coaches should have kept Long in there even if he couldn’t lift respectably. Wu was tired after 163; if they put all 3 of Long’s attempts in between Wu’s 163 and 166, that would have been 5 more precious minutes of rest for Wu, 6 minutes total plus whatever time the plate change could buy. And all Long would have to do is strut around on the stage like a diva 3 times.

  45. grobpote says

    I have to say I wanted Wu to win this but all my recpect to Om,he is one tough SOB! That 139 was beautiful. Wu really did everything he could – 302 total is the highest class you can have. Om is not as graceful looking lifter as Wu but soo explosive and strong! It would have been better if he hold that 171 a fraction of a second longer but : 175 clean is historical. That is something absolutely unique. If he ever jerk it he’s gonna be one of the greatest lifters of all times.

  46. grobpote says

    I have to say I wanted Wu to win this but all my recpect to Om,he is one tough SOB! That 139 was beautiful. Wu really did everything he could – 302 total is the highest class you can have. Om is not as graceful looking lifter as Wu but soo explosive and strong! It would have been better if he hold that 171 a fraction of a second longer but : 175 clean is historical. That is something absolutely unique. If he ever jerk it he’s gonna be one of the greatest lifters of all times.

  47. Victor says

    Holy crap, I’ve never seen a 62 as wild as that one! How many, was it 5, who clean and jerked over 170? Congratulations to Chen Lijun! Before I saw him do 336 at the test of strength, I thought Kim’s 332 was unassailable! I was hoping today would happen just like this (except for him slipping on his third snatch). Congrats to him again!

    • Victor says

      I count 5 who snatched 140 or higher, 6 who clean and jerked 170 or higher, 3 who attempted 180 or higher, 2 who cleaned 180 or higher, and 1 who succeeded at 183; 5 who totalled 310 or higher with 2 outliers at 328 and 333, and 2 WR’s broken. What a battle this category was!

    • Victor says

      I count 5 who snatched 140 or higher, 6 who clean and jerked 170 or higher, 3 who attempted 180 or higher, 2 who cleaned 180 or higher, and 1 who succeeded at 183; 5 who totalled 310 or higher with 2 outliers at 328 and 333, and 2 WR’s broken. What a battle this category was!

    • wlift84 says

      To go from 336 at like 65kg to this 333 is unbelievable, I thought for sure he’d max out at 330 and hope Kim isn’t in WR form. But this, flawless, he even had the 152.

      And as you said the class was great with plenty jerks at 175.

    • wlift84 says

      To go from 336 at like 65kg to this 333 is unbelievable, I thought for sure he’d max out at 330 and hope Kim isn’t in WR form. But this, flawless, he even had the 152.

      And as you said the class was great with plenty jerks at 175.

  48. Victor says

    Holy crap, I’ve never seen a 62 as wild as that one! How many, was it 5, who clean and jerked over 170? Congratulations to Chen Lijun! Before I saw him do 336 at the test of strength, I thought Kim’s 332 was unassailable! I was hoping today would happen just like this (except for him slipping on his third snatch). Congrats to him again!

  49. John Chen says

    thanks for posting the replays. Hopefully some kind soul recorded the other sessions as well.

  50. John Chen says

    thanks for posting the replays. Hopefully some kind soul recorded the other sessions as well.

  51. anonyymi says

    How is Sohrab Moradi’s situation excactly? Is there some verified information when he can compete? Is it next year in a way he could qualify for olympics or is it later so he couldn’t compete in olympics?

    • Phil says

      I think he can compete sometime around the Asian Championships next year, maybe after it. I’m not sure there’s enough competitions for him to qualify.

    • Phil says

      I think he can compete sometime around the Asian Championships next year, maybe after it. I’m not sure there’s enough competitions for him to qualify.

  52. anonyymi says

    How is Sohrab Moradi’s situation excactly? Is there some verified information when he can compete? Is it next year in a way he could qualify for olympics or is it later so he couldn’t compete in olympics?

  53. Mr. Don Shake says

    the CBC streams feature commentary by DOCTOR randall strossel, which depending on your feelings regarding mid-western twang, could be either good or bad

  54. Mr. Don Shake says

    the CBC streams feature commentary by DOCTOR randall strossel, which depending on your feelings regarding mid-western twang, could be either good or bad

  59. harryfabian says

    does anyone know how team rankings and thus Olympic spots are shaping up? For example, KSA scored 42 points last year and is in 22nd place. Looks like they are done with 20 points and several countries should jump them for the 3 Olympic spots. also a KOR who scored 11 points last year bombed this year. they are in 16th place.

  60. harryfabian says

    does anyone know how team rankings and thus Olympic spots are shaping up? For example, KSA scored 42 points last year and is in 22nd place. Looks like they are done with 20 points and several countries should jump them for the 3 Olympic spots. also a KOR who scored 11 points last year bombed this year. they are in 16th place.

  65. Victor says

    Don’t know what’s worse; leading in the snatch, then bombing or getting the overall gold snatched out from under you, based on body-weight, by a guy you’ve never even heard of before, going from 195 directly to 207 in the clean and jerk, in a lift that took place after you thought the competition was already over. LOL Lu bombed, f uck my life. Gonna hang myself if Tian Tao doesn’t pull through tomorrow haha joking, not joking.

    • Jerker Karlsson says

      The 77 kg class was the most enjoyable so far for me.

      Lu’s confidence after the 175 kg snatch, sporting his golden shoes and smiling like it’s already in the bank. Then he bombs in the clean and jerk, after making the two last cleans look almost like warm-up weights. I wonder how much the shoulder bothered him in the jerk, and how much he could have tried had he made the first or second attempt. The cleans, except the first one, really looked easy.

      Ehab’s emotion after jerking 201 kg, and getting the bronze in total.

      The competition for gold with a good finish by the Korean lifter and the clutch lift by the Kazakh, who shows up from nowhere to claim the gold, and then giving the world record a try. He seemed like a humble guy after the winning lift also.

      Great competition. Now let’s hope the 85 kg class delivers.

    • Jerker Karlsson says

      The 77 kg class was the most enjoyable so far for me.

      Lu’s confidence after the 175 kg snatch, sporting his golden shoes and smiling like it’s already in the bank. Then he bombs in the clean and jerk, after making the two last cleans look almost like warm-up weights. I wonder how much the shoulder bothered him in the jerk, and how much he could have tried had he made the first or second attempt. The cleans, except the first one, really looked easy.

      Ehab’s emotion after jerking 201 kg, and getting the bronze in total.

      The competition for gold with a good finish by the Korean lifter and the clutch lift by the Kazakh, who shows up from nowhere to claim the gold, and then giving the world record a try. He seemed like a humble guy after the winning lift also.

      Great competition. Now let’s hope the 85 kg class delivers.

    • Victor says

      Well, I’ve officially hanged myself. This is my ghost typing. I now dread that jerk as much as grobpote. On a different note, Is Rostami’s 214 opener the highest even in the 85 clean and jerk?

      • wlift84 says

        Hopefully ghosts can read, not just type, but yes 214 is unsurprisingly the highest ever. It’s like Rybakou opening with 180 in 2005 when the WR was 182.

        • Victor says

          There I was killing myself cus it looks like the Chinese team is having the worst year ever with 4 stars who bombed (Long, Lu, Tian, Liu) and now that it’s all over, I look at the scoreboard and I see China with 6 golds, Russia with 3, Kaz with 2, and some little peeps with 1… Looks like I should have held off becoming a ghost for a bit longer…

      • wlift84 says

        Hopefully ghosts can read, not just type, but yes 214 is unsurprisingly the highest ever. It’s like Rybakou opening with 180 in 2005 when the WR was 182.

  66. Victor says

    Don’t know what’s worse; leading in the snatch, then bombing or getting the overall gold snatched out from under you, based on body-weight, by a guy you’ve never even heard of before, going from 195 directly to 207 in the clean and jerk, in a lift that took place after you thought the competition was already over. LOL Lu bombed, f uck my life. Gonna hang myself if Tian Tao doesn’t pull through tomorrow haha joking, not joking.

  67. Victor says

    Question: Does Lu bombing mean that he has to compete 1 more time to qualify for Rio or is he still good to go?

  68. Victor says

    Question: Does Lu bombing mean that he has to compete 1 more time to qualify for Rio or is he still good to go?

  69. grobpote says

    77 kg category : WOW! That was something special! I haven’t seen such an exciting competition since last year’s 105 kg in Almaty. Ehab did a great job,what a massive guy. Consistent and reliable athlete you cannot wish more as a trainer. So is Victor Getts. Beautiful moving lifter.
    And now the black soup : What I’ve been bitching about the awful squat jerk. Lu screwed it because of that. You can’t move your feet to adjust under the weight when you are down there.Both the power and the split jerk enables you to step under the weight and possibly save it. Lu and Tao proved it many times that squat jerk is no good. They hardly get it right it’s always a gamble. I bet Lu could cnj 215 if he had been taught the split jerk. It’s just hard to watch a great athlete who has only one flaw – his unreliable jerk. If Tian Tao lose this comp,it will be because of his jerk.Will see this afternoon..

    Ahh yes! I almost forgot Rahimov! He was wonderful. He’s gonna be the man to beat next year not Lu.

    • Victor says

      On board with you now regarding hating that jerk. The Chinese team are certainly going to think about what went wrong. Lu and Tian easily cleaned a gold medal weight 6 times combined and jerked it 0 times. Ban it from Chinese lifting academies!

      Okulov is going to be the man to beat in Rio! Strong, explosive, and stable jerk!

      • Victor says

        Come to think of it, Tian Tao’s jerk on his 210 opener at the nationals this year was ugly as hell too! Literally the only time that jerk had worked well for him on a heavy weight (210+) was when all the luck in the world was with him as he did 218 in Incheon. In retrospect, he should have bought a lottery ticket that day. Success is a poor teacher indeed.

        • drarara says

          hm i guess theyll all have a nice discussion with athourities about their perfomance at home.

        • drarara says

          hm i guess theyll all have a nice discussion with athourities about their perfomance at home.

      • Victor says

        Come to think of it, Tian Tao’s jerk on his 210 opener at the nationals this year was ugly as hell too! Literally the only time that jerk had worked well for him on a heavy weight (210+) was when all the luck in the world was with him as he did 218 in Incheon. In retrospect, he should have bought a lottery ticket that day. Success is a poor teacher indeed.

      • Jerker Karlsson says

        Yes, it is a bit painful to watch Lu and Tao clean heavy weights like robots, then miss all the jerks.

        I was hoping for Tao or Rostami to take the gold here in Houston, but Okulov really deserved this win the way he competed. He seemed to enjoy it as well. 🙂

      • Jerker Karlsson says

        Yes, it is a bit painful to watch Lu and Tao clean heavy weights like robots, then miss all the jerks.

        I was hoping for Tao or Rostami to take the gold here in Houston, but Okulov really deserved this win the way he competed. He seemed to enjoy it as well. 🙂

      • Adam says

        The only person I have see have success with the squat jerk is David Behdzanyan of Russia. However, his jerk is so strong and fast he could probably do 260+, but has never had to clean more than 240. That is the only way it works is when you have strength in reserve so that you can save energy with a shorter movement.

        • Leon says

          He power jerks. That is a huge difference since he actually creates so much force that he doesn’t need to get so low that he gets instable. Most squat jerkers look like they are falling under the weight and hope to manage to stop it at some point, but without creating upwards motion. However, once they drop too low it is nearly impossible to hold.

          It really annoys me that not only the snatch sessions are terrible to watch for the most, but that so many lifters give away their first and second jerks too.

          • Adam says

            Of course Bedzhanyan would make me a liar today getting crushed by 242… A lift I have seen him destroy so many times. It looked like he just ran out of gas from the clean. Oh well… What happened to Ilya Ilyn? Did he withdraw? Or was he ever on he start list?

          • Adam says

            Of course Bedzhanyan would make me a liar today getting crushed by 242… A lift I have seen him destroy so many times. It looked like he just ran out of gas from the clean. Oh well… What happened to Ilya Ilyn? Did he withdraw? Or was he ever on he start list?

        • Leon says

          He power jerks. That is a huge difference since he actually creates so much force that he doesn’t need to get so low that he gets instable. Most squat jerkers look like they are falling under the weight and hope to manage to stop it at some point, but without creating upwards motion. However, once they drop too low it is nearly impossible to hold.

          It really annoys me that not only the snatch sessions are terrible to watch for the most, but that so many lifters give away their first and second jerks too.

      • Adam says

        The only person I have see have success with the squat jerk is David Behdzanyan of Russia. However, his jerk is so strong and fast he could probably do 260+, but has never had to clean more than 240. That is the only way it works is when you have strength in reserve so that you can save energy with a shorter movement.

    • Victor says

      On board with you now regarding hating that jerk. The Chinese team are certainly going to think about what went wrong. Lu and Tian easily cleaned a gold medal weight 6 times combined and jerked it 0 times. Ban it from Chinese lifting academies!

      Okulov is going to be the man to beat in Rio! Strong, explosive, and stable jerk!

      • grobpote says

        Thakns Tom,but it wasn’t very hard. He got it right with big weight just once as I recall – Incheon 218 kg – but I hoped at least he would stay in the competition. The interesting part is that he never really got to the squat phase because he hesitated before the jerk – all three times – looked like he couldn’t find the right angle to start.I’ve seen him doing it before. If you squat jerk you have to get it right otherwise you’re doomed. The sad part is that he at last got the snatch right with that very nice 178 kg and then could have jerked a world record if it was just his strength. Strongest athlete in the field and can’t take advantage of it.

      • grobpote says

        Thakns Tom,but it wasn’t very hard. He got it right with big weight just once as I recall – Incheon 218 kg – but I hoped at least he would stay in the competition. The interesting part is that he never really got to the squat phase because he hesitated before the jerk – all three times – looked like he couldn’t find the right angle to start.I’ve seen him doing it before. If you squat jerk you have to get it right otherwise you’re doomed. The sad part is that he at last got the snatch right with that very nice 178 kg and then could have jerked a world record if it was just his strength. Strongest athlete in the field and can’t take advantage of it.

    • Phil says

      Dead correct grobpote. I have always agreed that the squat jerk is unreliable, I can not see any plausible reason to squat jerk instead of split jerking. The North Koreans have essentially the same gifts as the Chinese and all their best CnJ choose to split. UZB, North Korea, AZB, KAZ and young lifters in RUS in my opinion have the sharpest technique. After they stop squat jerking, I hope the learn to transition with a faster stomp of the feet also!

    • Phil says

      Dead correct grobpote. I have always agreed that the squat jerk is unreliable, I can not see any plausible reason to squat jerk instead of split jerking. The North Koreans have essentially the same gifts as the Chinese and all their best CnJ choose to split. UZB, North Korea, AZB, KAZ and young lifters in RUS in my opinion have the sharpest technique. After they stop squat jerking, I hope the learn to transition with a faster stomp of the feet also!

    • Jerker Karlsson says

      Definitely a well-deserved win for Okulov. He went six out of six in a field with many missed lifts. I thought Rostami had the 218 kg jerk though. After two bronze medals he finally claimed the gold, and did it in style.

      It’s going to be exciting to see how long the 218 kg world record lasts. Okulov has almost done it in competition, Tao has done it, and Rostami is close in competition, with 220 kg and 221 kg in training. Sooner or later that record has got to go.

    • Jerker Karlsson says

      Definitely a well-deserved win for Okulov. He went six out of six in a field with many missed lifts. I thought Rostami had the 218 kg jerk though. After two bronze medals he finally claimed the gold, and did it in style.

      It’s going to be exciting to see how long the 218 kg world record lasts. Okulov has almost done it in competition, Tao has done it, and Rostami is close in competition, with 220 kg and 221 kg in training. Sooner or later that record has got to go.

  70. grobpote says

    77 kg category : WOW! That was something special! I haven’t seen such an exciting competition since last year’s 105 kg in Almaty. Ehab did a great job,what a massive guy. Consistent and reliable athlete you cannot wish more as a trainer. So is Victor Getts. Beautiful moving lifter.
    And now the black soup : What I’ve been bitching about the awful squat jerk. Lu screwed it because of that. You can’t move your feet to adjust under the weight when you are down there.Both the power and the split jerk enables you to step under the weight and possibly save it. Lu and Tao proved it many times that squat jerk is no good. They hardly get it right it’s always a gamble. I bet Lu could cnj 215 if he had been taught the split jerk. It’s just hard to watch a great athlete who has only one flaw – his unreliable jerk. If Tian Tao lose this comp,it will be because of his jerk.Will see this afternoon..

    Ahh yes! I almost forgot Rahimov! He was wonderful. He’s gonna be the man to beat next year not Lu.

  71. GHM says

    Iranian Team sucks this year. I am so POed about this that I am posting it before 85kg A. ESPN3 (web) is showing this at 3 PM central time.

    • Victor says

      Rostami just did 210 pretty easily like 2 days ago. Still don’t know why he was hospitalized. It’s gonna be pretty sweet, Rostami vs. Tian Tao vs. Aukhadov vs. Okulov!

    • Victor says

      Rostami just did 210 pretty easily like 2 days ago. Still don’t know why he was hospitalized. It’s gonna be pretty sweet, Rostami vs. Tian Tao vs. Aukhadov vs. Okulov!

    • GHM says

      Iranian coaches choice of weight absolutely horrible.
      62kg: Majid Askari is injured (back). Good 122 then 128! Good 2nd try 152 then 162! Off course fail.
      69: Jabar Behrouzi; Good 147 but get injured. Start him 173 in C&J when I can on TV monitor he can not do anything and only warms up with 60kg before three failures.
      77: Taghavian is good but a bit shaky in 158 then jump to 162 and fail. Instead of starting him 188-190 to get point they chose 193 and out.
      85: Roustami: good 173 then 178 (why?). He was in a hospital two weeks ago. Get him 176 instead of 178. Now they want to start him at 213! 207 should be max.
      I am posting this before C&J start.

    • GHM says

      Iranian coaches choice of weight absolutely horrible.
      62kg: Majid Askari is injured (back). Good 122 then 128! Good 2nd try 152 then 162! Off course fail.
      69: Jabar Behrouzi; Good 147 but get injured. Start him 173 in C&J when I can on TV monitor he can not do anything and only warms up with 60kg before three failures.
      77: Taghavian is good but a bit shaky in 158 then jump to 162 and fail. Instead of starting him 188-190 to get point they chose 193 and out.
      85: Roustami: good 173 then 178 (why?). He was in a hospital two weeks ago. Get him 176 instead of 178. Now they want to start him at 213! 207 should be max.
      I am posting this before C&J start.

  72. GHM says

    Iranian Team sucks this year. I am so POed about this that I am posting it before 85kg A. ESPN3 (web) is showing this at 3 PM central time.

    • Victor says

      Su Ying’s back was injured, not Lu Xiaojun’s.

      Lu entered this competition ready to challenge the WR, but because some lifters suddenly upped their weights, he was forced to go out far, far earlier than he had expected. He normally warms up 180, 190, then comes out on 200, but he had just finished his 180 when he was called. He did not get his breath and rhythm under control and failed. Then, he got cold. After his first attempt, resting to take his second and third, he said there was a point when he rested over 7 minutes and it cooled him down. When he’s warmed up, the lifts feel natural and the body does the work itself, but when he’s not properly warmed up, then cooled down, the rhythm was totally off; he had to think about his lifts, and everything got complicated.
      The reporter adds that maybe this is good that it happened before to Olympics so he doesn’t make that same mistake in Rio.

    • Victor says

      Su Ying’s back was injured, not Lu Xiaojun’s.

      Lu entered this competition ready to challenge the WR, but because some lifters suddenly upped their weights, he was forced to go out far, far earlier than he had expected. He normally warms up 180, 190, then comes out on 200, but he had just finished his 180 when he was called. He did not get his breath and rhythm under control and failed. Then, he got cold. After his first attempt, resting to take his second and third, he said there was a point when he rested over 7 minutes and it cooled him down. When he’s warmed up, the lifts feel natural and the body does the work itself, but when he’s not properly warmed up, then cooled down, the rhythm was totally off; he had to think about his lifts, and everything got complicated.
      The reporter adds that maybe this is good that it happened before to Olympics so he doesn’t make that same mistake in Rio.

  79. GHM says

    Hey IWF higher ups, Rule Change please.

    1. Two minutes rest for an athlete follows him/herself regardless if another athlete was suppose to go first and changed his mind. No reason to punish athlete because the rule was not written clearly and it is abused as we saw what happened to Taipei Lin in 63kg snatch.

    2. Allow 4th try to break WR records to the top finisher of the each part, snatch or C&J.

    3. Get rid of elbow touching knee disqualification.
    ___________________________________________________________________________
    ESPN is covering this event in the USA. Thank you. The only article in ESPN site is about Holly Mangold who is +75Kg B type athlete and how she is a sensation of weightlifting 🙂 http://espn.go.com/olympics/weightlifting/

    Best watch for my time was ladies 69kg D. Annie Misti Thorisdottir from Island is easy on the eye and she can jerk. The problem is she can not clean. Her teammate is Katrin Davidsdottir is right behind her. You can watch replay of 69D on ESPN.

    • grobpote says

      I absolutely agree. I think it used to be the case back in the days that WR could be done on the 4th attempt but it didn’t count in the competition. The elbow touches the knee rule is quite stupid really – I don’t see how would that help the athlete to lift the weight easier. Some of us just has shorter upper body longer thighs so it’s just more difficult to keep the elbows and the knees apart when the weight is heavy and you are in a bad position.

    • grobpote says

      I absolutely agree. I think it used to be the case back in the days that WR could be done on the 4th attempt but it didn’t count in the competition. The elbow touches the knee rule is quite stupid really – I don’t see how would that help the athlete to lift the weight easier. Some of us just has shorter upper body longer thighs so it’s just more difficult to keep the elbows and the knees apart when the weight is heavy and you are in a bad position.

  80. GHM says

    Hey IWF higher ups, Rule Change please.

    1. Two minutes rest for an athlete follows him/herself regardless if another athlete was suppose to go first and changed his mind. No reason to punish athlete because the rule was not written clearly and it is abused as we saw what happened to Taipei Lin in 63kg snatch.

    2. Allow 4th try to break WR records to the top finisher of the each part, snatch or C&J.

    3. Get rid of elbow touching knee disqualification.
    ___________________________________________________________________________
    ESPN is covering this event in the USA. Thank you. The only article in ESPN site is about Holly Mangold who is +75Kg B type athlete and how she is a sensation of weightlifting 🙂 http://espn.go.com/olympics/weightlifting/

    Best watch for my time was ladies 69kg D. Annie Misti Thorisdottir from Island is easy on the eye and she can jerk. The problem is she can not clean. Her teammate is Katrin Davidsdottir is right behind her. You can watch replay of 69D on ESPN.

      • SirJohn says

        Are you sure that British Eurosport wasn’t showing the 85A category yesterday? Because the first link posted here led to an English livestream with the usual 2 commentators.

        On a side note, am I the only one who finds Michaela Breeze’s commenting annoying?

        • Phil says

          They recorded it live then showed the replay on british eurosport 20 minutes before the 63kg session. I know what you mean though but I’m not sure what other country they show the british one live at, I don’t think it was international eurosport.

          I hope to get the links up probably 20 minutes before the start of the 94’s but it’s hard to tell which streams will show it and which will swap to golf/tennis/snooker/bowling :(.

        • Phil says

          They recorded it live then showed the replay on british eurosport 20 minutes before the 63kg session. I know what you mean though but I’m not sure what other country they show the british one live at, I don’t think it was international eurosport.

          I hope to get the links up probably 20 minutes before the start of the 94’s but it’s hard to tell which streams will show it and which will swap to golf/tennis/snooker/bowling :(.

        • grobpote says

          She annoys me too. Always bitching about the technical flaws and no knowledge of the past whatsoever.

        • grobpote says

          She annoys me too. Always bitching about the technical flaws and no knowledge of the past whatsoever.

      • SirJohn says

        Are you sure that British Eurosport wasn’t showing the 85A category yesterday? Because the first link posted here led to an English livestream with the usual 2 commentators.

        On a side note, am I the only one who finds Michaela Breeze’s commenting annoying?

    • Phil says

      It should be on other eurosport channels like swedish, norwegian and russian eurosport. British Eurosport isn’t showing it. If you’ve got the player i think you can change channel or if that doesn’t work use a proxy. Hopefully get a few links up but not as many as usual.

    • Phil says

      It should be on other eurosport channels like swedish, norwegian and russian eurosport. British Eurosport isn’t showing it. If you’ve got the player i think you can change channel or if that doesn’t work use a proxy. Hopefully get a few links up but not as many as usual.

  87. wat says

    Streltsov had an very solid performance. I couldn’t ve imagine someone will beat both Kazahs.

  88. wat says

    Streltsov had an very solid performance. I couldn’t ve imagine someone will beat both Kazahs.

    • Victor says

      LOL Talking about Xiang Yanmei attempting 148 two times even though she had all 3 golds and 148 was no record or PB at all?

      • SirJohn says

        I was talking about the 94kg. After building up some excitement towards the end it finished in 4 consecutive missed lifts. I didn’t watch women’s 69kg live, needed to catch up on my sleep a bit 🙂

      • SirJohn says

        I was talking about the 94kg. After building up some excitement towards the end it finished in 4 consecutive missed lifts. I didn’t watch women’s 69kg live, needed to catch up on my sleep a bit 🙂

    • Victor says

      LOL Talking about Xiang Yanmei attempting 148 two times even though she had all 3 golds and 148 was no record or PB at all?

  91. grobpote says

    The 94 kg was sensational! After a weak snatch the boys really got down to buisness. I mean four guys try 230 or 230+? Man we needed this so much! The two belorussian guys were great I never anticipated this. Both Straltsou and Uthesov 230?Wow!This category has just risen to another level. And I loved that the underdogs have come through 😀

  92. grobpote says

    The 94 kg was sensational! After a weak snatch the boys really got down to buisness. I mean four guys try 230 or 230+? Man we needed this so much! The two belorussian guys were great I never anticipated this. Both Straltsou and Uthesov 230?Wow!This category has just risen to another level. And I loved that the underdogs have come through 😀

    • Victor says

      It’s mostly drivel, as is what you can expect from a young guy who just screwed up big. Basically, he just says he screwed up, was confident coming in, and he’ll do better next time. Coach Yujie was also baffled by it and says they’ll need to do some thinking. He did, however, mention that all warm-up was going perfectly until after the final warm up lift, when Tian Tao felt a sudden abnormal tightness in his lower back, which could have caused the breakdown in the jerk.

    • Victor says

      It’s mostly drivel, as is what you can expect from a young guy who just screwed up big. Basically, he just says he screwed up, was confident coming in, and he’ll do better next time. Coach Yujie was also baffled by it and says they’ll need to do some thinking. He did, however, mention that all warm-up was going perfectly until after the final warm up lift, when Tian Tao felt a sudden abnormal tightness in his lower back, which could have caused the breakdown in the jerk.

  97. Leon says

    My comment about the 94s

    In total a pretty terrible session. Snatch part almost unbearable to watch and even more shocking how inconsistent the clean and jerk was for so many lifters.
    With the exception of the two lifters from Kazakhstan and the one from Belarus it would have been a disaster. Kosov appeared to be injured. Very pitty.
    Two tries on the world record turned the session around, but this inconsistency makes it hard to watch.
    And can anyone tell me if Zielinski has improved much since moving up from 85? His lifts would have been very good for the 85s, but he is not competitive
    for the 94s. And he is in that weight class for a few years now. When Ilyin opened with his former best C&J I got it. He really improved, but Zielinski went from
    one of the best to almost average.

  98. Leon says

    My comment about the 94s

    In total a pretty terrible session. Snatch part almost unbearable to watch and even more shocking how inconsistent the clean and jerk was for so many lifters.
    With the exception of the two lifters from Kazakhstan and the one from Belarus it would have been a disaster. Kosov appeared to be injured. Very pitty.
    Two tries on the world record turned the session around, but this inconsistency makes it hard to watch.
    And can anyone tell me if Zielinski has improved much since moving up from 85? His lifts would have been very good for the 85s, but he is not competitive
    for the 94s. And he is in that weight class for a few years now. When Ilyin opened with his former best C&J I got it. He really improved, but Zielinski went from
    one of the best to almost average.

  99. Leon says

    My comment to the 85s

    A dramatic but weak competition. I was happy for Okulov as he made good choices for his attempts and showed a good performance. Many of the other lifters seemed to be lacking focus, especially in the snatch. What a disaster across the board. Rostami and Tian may have more potential than Okulov, but he was smart and went six for six. How can you fail in your first clean and jerk? Again this stupid squat jerk. With a split jerk Tian could have saved his attempt like Okulov did with 215. What a fight. Amazing to see.
    Rostami appears to be a force of nature, capapble of jerking so much, but his technique is far from good. When cleaning 214 he basically stood up with the all the weight on his right leg. Didn’t he also lose other competitions due to this asymmetry when the barbell turned like a helicopter rotator blade?
    Fan favorite Aukhadov seemed to be not there mentally. He might still need more time to recover from his injury. But he fought well to secure third place.

    • GHM says

      Agreed. I also think Iranian coach choice of weight left something to be desired. Why third try of 219 when 218 can win the competition and it seemed Roustamai almost had it first time. It seems Okulov is good lifter and just like last year he lifts within his potential. I do not see him doing 181 + 219.

      At this point Tian is over rated by looking at his 2014 and 15 WC results. He seems with most potential to reach 400 total perhaps in Rio if he is on the team. I suggest Chinese may place two on 62 and two on 69 at this point and the other two spots to 56 and 77 athlete.

      • SirJohn says

        It’s a poor excuse in my opinion, but maybe the Iranian coach asked for 219 to give Rostami an extra 30sec of rest?

      • SirJohn says

        It’s a poor excuse in my opinion, but maybe the Iranian coach asked for 219 to give Rostami an extra 30sec of rest?

      • Victor says

        2 on 62?? Who else would you have there other than Chen Lijun? Everyone else is literally sub-320.

      • Victor says

        2 on 62?? Who else would you have there other than Chen Lijun? Everyone else is literally sub-320.

      • PJ says

        that was Rostami’s decision, he always wanted to break the world record and it seems he forced his coach to pick 219. after the competition, he claimed he would not come out for 218 if coach would not listen to him !!
        of course he and his friends changed the coach to do whatever they want. they own the team right now ! and the result is having a broken weak team for Iranian weightlifting.

        • Victor says

          LOL The coach said to Behdad Salimi, “Hey, this is really close to the competition; you should probably taper it. You’re knee’s kinda strained; take it easy on that ACL.” Behdad says, “Shut up, little man! I’m the lifter; I’m the boss! Now go get the camera set up to catch me doing this 262!” LOL

        • Victor says

          LOL The coach said to Behdad Salimi, “Hey, this is really close to the competition; you should probably taper it. You’re knee’s kinda strained; take it easy on that ACL.” Behdad says, “Shut up, little man! I’m the lifter; I’m the boss! Now go get the camera set up to catch me doing this 262!” LOL

      • PJ says

        that was Rostami’s decision, he always wanted to break the world record and it seems he forced his coach to pick 219. after the competition, he claimed he would not come out for 218 if coach would not listen to him !!
        of course he and his friends changed the coach to do whatever they want. they own the team right now ! and the result is having a broken weak team for Iranian weightlifting.

    • GHM says

      Agreed. I also think Iranian coach choice of weight left something to be desired. Why third try of 219 when 218 can win the competition and it seemed Roustamai almost had it first time. It seems Okulov is good lifter and just like last year he lifts within his potential. I do not see him doing 181 + 219.

      At this point Tian is over rated by looking at his 2014 and 15 WC results. He seems with most potential to reach 400 total perhaps in Rio if he is on the team. I suggest Chinese may place two on 62 and two on 69 at this point and the other two spots to 56 and 77 athlete.

  100. Leon says

    My comment to the 85s

    A dramatic but weak competition. I was happy for Okulov as he made good choices for his attempts and showed a good performance. Many of the other lifters seemed to be lacking focus, especially in the snatch. What a disaster across the board. Rostami and Tian may have more potential than Okulov, but he was smart and went six for six. How can you fail in your first clean and jerk? Again this stupid squat jerk. With a split jerk Tian could have saved his attempt like Okulov did with 215. What a fight. Amazing to see.
    Rostami appears to be a force of nature, capapble of jerking so much, but his technique is far from good. When cleaning 214 he basically stood up with the all the weight on his right leg. Didn’t he also lose other competitions due to this asymmetry when the barbell turned like a helicopter rotator blade?
    Fan favorite Aukhadov seemed to be not there mentally. He might still need more time to recover from his injury. But he fought well to secure third place.

  101. GHM says

    Is this guy, Daniyar Ismayilov (TKM), who finished 3rd in 69kg eligible to lift in Rio? He won 2015 European for Turkey. I have a feeling he is Bulgarian origin or was Turkaman lifting for Turkey. There is a two year wait. He should have changed alliance after Rio.

  102. GHM says

    Is this guy, Daniyar Ismayilov (TKM), who finished 3rd in 69kg eligible to lift in Rio? He won 2015 European for Turkey. I have a feeling he is Bulgarian origin or was Turkaman lifting for Turkey. There is a two year wait. He should have changed alliance after Rio.

      • guest says

        Yes I am. It’s like having the rights to the soccer world cup and not bothering to show more than a handful of games.

        I paid for a month on the basis that Eurosport are showing the A groups. I think it could be reasonably assumed that this would be ALL the A groups.

        • Phil says

          I think they only way around it is to sign into a different country’s login or use a proxy and pretend you are from there. It’s a bit of a joke that they don’t give you an option to view it on demand live even if it’s not showing it on TV really.

        • Phil says

          I think they only way around it is to sign into a different country’s login or use a proxy and pretend you are from there. It’s a bit of a joke that they don’t give you an option to view it on demand live even if it’s not showing it on TV really.

      • guest says

        Yes I am. It’s like having the rights to the soccer world cup and not bothering to show more than a handful of games.

        I paid for a month on the basis that Eurosport are showing the A groups. I think it could be reasonably assumed that this would be ALL the A groups.

  105. grobpote says

    Thank God this 75 kg is over! Far the worst competition I’ve ever seen.The last good one in this cat was at the London Olympics. Ah yes and I would give authority to the doctors to ban the idiot trainers to force an injured athlete to continue. North Koreans went too far this time.

    • Victor says

      How badly injured was she? Every time she limped around, it looked like the injury was horrific, absolutely no way she could lift even 100kg with it. Then, the lifts come out and they don’t look bad at all, especially in the clean. She basically clean-and-jerked normal scores. I know for a fact I couldn’t clean and jerk anywhere near my normal score with a limp like that. Is she really really determined or was she not that badly injured and sorta milking it? By the way, very emotional as I watched. I wanted Kang Yue to hug her and to tell Rim that she’d give up her last clean and jerks to give Rim the gold so she wouldn’t have to come out again, but alas, it was in Zubova’s hands. I was kinda sad that after the comp, Kang sat next to Rim, undoing her own knee wraps and didn’t even look or talk to Rim.

    • Victor says

      How badly injured was she? Every time she limped around, it looked like the injury was horrific, absolutely no way she could lift even 100kg with it. Then, the lifts come out and they don’t look bad at all, especially in the clean. She basically clean-and-jerked normal scores. I know for a fact I couldn’t clean and jerk anywhere near my normal score with a limp like that. Is she really really determined or was she not that badly injured and sorta milking it? By the way, very emotional as I watched. I wanted Kang Yue to hug her and to tell Rim that she’d give up her last clean and jerks to give Rim the gold so she wouldn’t have to come out again, but alas, it was in Zubova’s hands. I was kinda sad that after the comp, Kang sat next to Rim, undoing her own knee wraps and didn’t even look or talk to Rim.

  106. grobpote says

    Thank God this 75 kg is over! Far the worst competition I’ve ever seen.The last good one in this cat was at the London Olympics. Ah yes and I would give authority to the doctors to ban the idiot trainers to force an injured athlete to continue. North Koreans went too far this time.

  107. fred says

    wow the W75A was amazing. rim from prk was so brave for c&j 155 injured…unbelievable. i wonder if it was her decision or her coach to continue. She could be injured a lot more.

    well, i’m french too, and so disapointed about gaelle nayo ketchanke results. After her silver medal at europeans i hoped a 250 total, but she seemed under pressure, each competition are different.

  108. fred says

    wow the W75A was amazing. rim from prk was so brave for c&j 155 injured…unbelievable. i wonder if it was her decision or her coach to continue. She could be injured a lot more.

    well, i’m french too, and so disapointed about gaelle nayo ketchanke results. After her silver medal at europeans i hoped a 250 total, but she seemed under pressure, each competition are different.

  113. grobpote says

    The first lifter after almost 30 years who did 475!!! My God it was the most impressive performance of the decade!!!He’s gonna be capable of breaking the old records!

        • logicalfellac says

          Those are the numbers that would put him above the all-time records in each discipline, if I’m not mistaken. Krastev’s 216 & Taranenko’s 266, respectively.

          The snatch record seems pretty difficult to beat, but the clean and jerk record can certainly go down.

          Of course, for those two numbers to be broken on the same day seems extremely unlikely, but we can all dream…

          • grobpote says

            Ahh,yes of course.We’ll see.If I think of it Lovchev did this 475 with a lighter BW than Taranenko so he’s the best in the total. On the other hand Taranenko did it almost 30 years ago which counts too.

  114. grobpote says

    The first lifter after almost 30 years who did 475!!! My God it was the most impressive performance of the decade!!!He’s gonna be capable of breaking the old records!

  115. SirJohn says

    Mind = Blown!!!! This is one WR that nobody expected to be broken here! Lovchev really is the man!

    I was thinking before the comp that it is too bad Salimi is not there to give Lovchev I push. But I doubt he would have ever pushed him all the way to 264!

    • wat says

      In a sense it is actually lucky that there was no Salimi, because Lovchev got the gold after the 2nd attempt and could risk the 264. If the gold was undecided, he probably would’ve taken more conservative weight for the gold.

    • wat says

      In a sense it is actually lucky that there was no Salimi, because Lovchev got the gold after the 2nd attempt and could risk the 264. If the gold was undecided, he probably would’ve taken more conservative weight for the gold.

  116. SirJohn says

    Mind = Blown!!!! This is one WR that nobody expected to be broken here! Lovchev really is the man!

    I was thinking before the comp that it is too bad Salimi is not there to give Lovchev I push. But I doubt he would have ever pushed him all the way to 264!

  117. grobpote says

    The Significance of Lovchev’s 475

    I started WL in the beginning of 1988 as an 11 years old boy. I watched the Seoul Olympics eagerly and witnessed the great Suleymanoglu and Zacharevich becoming unforgettable. Every training room was decorated with the great lifter’s pictures like Taranenko,Vardanyan,Pisarenko and so on.During my career in WL I’ve always been a fan as well not just a competitor. With the start of the ’90-s weight categories were changed twice – first in 93 then in 98 and the glorious days and high level of 80-s had passed. Dimas won 3 olympic golds, yes ,but neither he nor Huster ever got close to the great Vardanyan and Zlatev.To me those guys being celebrated as the best lifters were ridiculous.I liked them but for me greatness has never been about the number of medals won but always about a unique performance. Taranenko set a new world record (210-265) a total of 475 kg back in 1988 and that record has never been surpassed. No man has done it until yesterday. I’ve seen a great many world records during my almost 30 years in WL and looking back performances like Vardanyan’s 400 or Naim’s 152,5-190 were like beacons in the vast ocean of WL history. Lovchev’s 475 is one of them now and it was worth to wait 27 years for it. For me that’s the significance of Lovchev’s 475 kg.

    • Jerker Karlsson says

      I’m a fan of the old lifters and records as well. But I’m not convinced the lifters of the eighties should be held in much higher regard then the ones who came on the scene later. The question remains – could the lifters then have made their record lifts and still pass the stricter testing of today? I think it’s a valid question, and for me it’s not just as simple as saying that the biggest single performance ever makes the athlete the best ever. I think consistency and and international victories account for a lot too. That makes lifters like Dimas, Mutlu and Kakhiashvili, with three Olympic golds (and add a bronze as well for Dimas) the ones that stand out the most, for me. And of course, there are those who combine consistency with performances that are remembered for decades, Naim Süleymanoglu being the obvious example.

      A great performance is not everything, and the conditions a lifter (or any athlete) trains and competes under shift with time. The lifters that can prove that they stay competitive over time, also prove that they can be champions regardless of the conditions (or at least more so than the athlete who does one great performance, then fades).

      That being said, there were a lot of lifters in the eighties that were denied the opportunity to become repeat champions at the Olympics. Vardanian, Zlatev, Taranenko, Pisarenko and many others never got to compete in three or more Olympics (Pisarenko not even in one).

      Nevertheless, Lovchev really made a standout performance, and suddenly there is not so far to go to surpass the record set by Taranenko (wasn’t it 210-266-476 by the way?). It seemes that in some weightclasses, the lifters of today actually are equal to the ones in the eighties. I would say Liao Hui is on that level, for example. Sure, he doesn’t have a 202,5 kg clean and jerk like Guenchev back in 88 at 67,5 kg bodyweight, but he snatches more and has been utterly dominant in his class since he arrived on the scene.

      There are many ways to compare lifters, and big, record-breaking performances is not the only measure.

      • grobpote says

        My opinion about taking the pills is :everybody did it,does it and most likely will do it in the future. Never believe that the athletes in the ’80-s took more just because the media loves to blame them after decades to show that the recent ones are much better. But to put it like this : could the lifters then who are making their record lifts today still pass the stricter testing of the future? Let’s say in 20 years time?
        Today’s lifters are different just because they are taking better drogs today then lifters in the past.
        True Dimas and the others stood out with their consistency but there is difference between for example Dimas and Mutlu. Dimas took his titles with ridicoluosly slower totals (370 in Barcelona and never more than 392,5 compared to Zlatev and Vardanyan 402,5 and 405).Mutlu was a force of nature easily beating the field and not just at the Games but many world and european champs too.Taranenko’s world record was 210-265 475. That time there was the 2,5 kg increase so you couldn’t get total like 466. He cnj-d 266 of course but that didn’t count in the total. My opinion is that back in the days they didn’t have neither fancy shoes nor high quality drogs and they still managed to lift more than most of the guys today. Yes Liao Hui for example is the same level but not many out there who is..and as I said 30 years ago – BIG disadvantage for the previous ones don’t you think? I didn’t even mention the quality of medical help today…
        All in all I give you that winning medals and staying on the top longer is also very important and luck is the part of it too.

        • Jerker Karlsson says

          I didn’t say that the lifters of the eighties did more or better drugs than the ones active today. I only said the testing is stricter today. At competitions, the lifters must be cleaner than in the eighties. I agree that the drugs today are probably better and that the medical help and training programs in general should have evolved. The lifters today should be better trained, better supported by their medical staff and so on, than the lifters in the eighties. I don’t argue with you about that. I don’t have your inside experience from professional weightlifting, and don’t know what goes on behind the scenes. I can simply look at numbers and read articles.

          A look at the world records shows the following: Of the eight weightclasses in use today, the records surpass the records of the eighties only in the snatch in the five lightest weight classses. In the snatch in the three heaviest weight classes and in the clean and jerk and the total (except for the 56 kg class, where the total is the same today as in the eighties), the records of the eighties still are better than the records today. And this is despite the weight advantage in most classes today (only the heavyweight class is lighter today, but even in the old sub-heavyweight of 100 kg, the records are better than the ones in today’s heavyweight class). The higher clean and jerk scores of old, also affects the higher totals. So it seems that the lifters today are better snatchers, in general, and the lifters of the eighties were better in the clean and jerk. Anabolics should help the clean and jerk more, as it is more dependent on strength. Snatch is the most technical lift, and here we actually see an improvement over the old records in quite a few weight classes.

          For me, this points to the fact that the lifters today might be technically as good, or better, than the ones in the eighties. But they seem to be weaker (at competitions). They might have better drugs, but I think the stricter testing today means they have to clean up earlier and more thoroughly than was the case in the eighties.

          The shoes I don’t really see making that much of a difference. The North Koreans seem to use shoes of an older model, and they have great champions nevertheless.

          The situation with records being higher in the eighties is not a phenomenon unique to weightlifting. If you look at http://www.iaaf.org/ , there are many records in the sprint and throw events that still stand from the eighties or early nineties, especially for women. This is probably also a side-effect of the combination of drug use and lack of testing that were the case then. Today, we still have the drugs (and probably better ones, as you point out), but the testing is much stricter.

          I’m with you on the drugs being just as prevalent today, and better as well. I simply mean that the stricter testing today means come competition time, the athletes are forced to be cleaner than in the eighties.

          Regarding Dimas, yes he was a bit lucky, especially at his first Olympics, where he won with a rather low total. But he beat the others and was the best there was at that time. It’s a shame Zlatev never competed in the 84 or 88 Olympics, and the same can be said about Vardanyan and many others. Had the eastern block lifters of the eighties had the chance to compete at more Olympic games, surely they would have had more medals to add to their historical records.

          Lovchevs lifts were the performance of the year for me, and it’s going to be great to see what he can do at the Olympics. Sooner or later the old records have got to go, and maybe Lovchev will be the one to do it in the super-heavy class.

          • Leon says

            I agree. Lovchev’s performance was amazing. Funny thing that he didn’t jerk over 240 the whole month before the competition. Maybe taking it easy right before the competititon isn’t so bad after all instead of setting records in the squat.

            I just wanted to add the great Alexeyev to the list. Yes, he won “only” two Olympic medals, but set 80 world records and that in the super heavyweight class, that is no human had ever before lifted so much. And his 255 clean and jerk is still competitive to this day.

            I am looking forward to Rio and hope Lovchev comes in top shape. I still think he could also break the snatch world record. Whether he can increase his clean and jerk much I am not sure. Some people already expect 270, but that’s a long way to go.

            • Jerker Karlsson says

              Alexevey is one of the absolute greatest of all time, no doubt about that.

              Rio is going to be amazing, hopefully. I only see world records going if they are needed to secure a medal, or if a lifter already has a medal in the bank and can lift without pressure. This is exactly what Lovchev did here, he could do the last clean and jerk with no pressure, the gold was already his. In the snatch, he did what was needded to secure a gold medal in that lift and give him a good position for the clean and jerk. The Olympics is the most prestigious competition of them all, and the race for medals will be top priority I think, world records second to that.

  118. GHM says

    Thank you Gregor (Santa) and your Santa helpers for this site and WC updates. The only thing I missed was interacting with people watching sessions at same time. Do you remember a few years ago we could chat online while watching? I missed it.

    Back to business: Was Lasha Tllakhadze, the 2nd place finisher in +105, on the 2-yr probation/ban list from 2013? This guy best was 200 + 225 when got caught and now he can go 207 + 247!

    I am sure, not using banned substance has helped him to lift more weight 😉

    I am not sure Bahador Moulaei can make a come back into top three. 176 in snatch is good for early seventies.

  120. ahovww says

    I’m kinda interested to see what kinda magic the Russian team doctor pulled to make Lovchev’s ruptured knee ligaments competition-ready in a month. I’m assuming there’s some kind of translation error going on that’s yielding the word “ruptured,” because it seems impossible to recover from (let alone set world records after) that kind of injury in that short of a time.

    • GHM says

      Behdad Salimi may need same stuff. News from Iranian camp indicates at least 6 months before he can return to practice. I am not sure starting end of May or June will help him. He may get lucky and win a bronze.

    • GHM says

      Behdad Salimi may need same stuff. News from Iranian camp indicates at least 6 months before he can return to practice. I am not sure starting end of May or June will help him. He may get lucky and win a bronze.

      • Kawi says

        I am disappointed, but can’t say I am surprised, that so many from the Azerbaijani team were caught.

        Since Boyanka Kostova’s name has not come up, can we assume that she passed, or might the results come later?

      • Kawi says

        I am disappointed, but can’t say I am surprised, that so many from the Azerbaijani team were caught.

        Since Boyanka Kostova’s name has not come up, can we assume that she passed, or might the results come later?

        • Victor says

          Yup, team Azerbaijan coming back super strong across the board in their first Worlds since the 2013 team ban. And now, 3/7 busted athletes are from Azerbaijan and that’s just round 1 of testing. Got some genius doctors working over there with the doses…

          • grobpote says

            It seems the Azerbaijani bubble is gonna burst like the Turkish and the Greek about ten years ago. I wonder how long the Kazahstani will hold…

          • grobpote says

            It seems the Azerbaijani bubble is gonna burst like the Turkish and the Greek about ten years ago. I wonder how long the Kazahstani will hold…

        • Victor says

          Yup, team Azerbaijan coming back super strong across the board in their first Worlds since the 2013 team ban. And now, 3/7 busted athletes are from Azerbaijan and that’s just round 1 of testing. Got some genius doctors working over there with the doses…

      • GHM says

        Not so reliable news from Iran: I heard Jr. WR holder in +105, Saeid ALIHOSSEINI, is getting off the banned list. He was placed on the list in 2008 for ten years and his suspension was appealed this year (no news yet).
        Iranian head coach quoted to say he is not sure the guy even has touched weights or is even willing to go through training regiments. He will be 29 in 2017.

      • GHM says

        Not so reliable news from Iran: I heard Jr. WR holder in +105, Saeid ALIHOSSEINI, is getting off the banned list. He was placed on the list in 2008 for ten years and his suspension was appealed this year (no news yet).
        Iranian head coach quoted to say he is not sure the guy even has touched weights or is even willing to go through training regiments. He will be 29 in 2017.

  123. Victor says

    Kim UnGuk is gone for Rio? Well… I hope this doesn’t dent Chen Lijun’s drive to improve. If Kim wasn’t there to push Chen, I really don’t think we could have seen 150+183 outta him. If Kim isn’t there in the future or comes back a shell of what he was after the ban, then this very well might have been Chen’s best performance too…

    Waiting for the results from the women’s comp…

  124. Victor says

    Kim UnGuk is gone for Rio? Well… I hope this doesn’t dent Chen Lijun’s drive to improve. If Kim wasn’t there to push Chen, I really don’t think we could have seen 150+183 outta him. If Kim isn’t there in the future or comes back a shell of what he was after the ban, then this very well might have been Chen’s best performance too…

    Waiting for the results from the women’s comp…

    • wlift84 says

      Don’t know about that. Did the lack of competition keep Lü or Liao from their records?

      Kim will be 31 when his ban expires, assuming it doesn’t get reduced. His career is over.

    • wlift84 says

      Don’t know about that. Did the lack of competition keep Lü or Liao from their records?

      Kim will be 31 when his ban expires, assuming it doesn’t get reduced. His career is over.

      • Victor says

        Chen specifically referred to Kim in his training, saying that he had to be ready to do at least 330 to challenge Kim Unguk. He said that his previous results were embarrassing and that he could not hold his head high with Kim around.

        If someone had been there to push Liao, the WR would not be as low as 359; he wrapped up the clean and jerk with just 193 in Almaty to leave room for himself in the future but we all know 193 is not a challenge for Liao Hui. Lu Xiaojun threw out his 3rd clean and jerk in Wroclaw with a 380 total and he was in such powerful form that he squat jerked 204 without pausing at the bottom. He may or may not have been good for 211 but I’d say if he was pushed, he’d be good for at least a couple more.

        • wlift84 says

          You’re saying the 69-77 total records could be higher, that’s true. I’m saying if there’s close competition the chance for records in the first place is lower.

          Why does Chen Lijun now has the records? Because he had a lift left, if Kim makes 179 Chen goes for 181 to win, not 183.

          Why didn’t Lü open safely with 195? Because he only had a 4kg lead and the Chinese know Kim can do at least 200.

          Why could Lovchev attempt 264? Because Talakhadze didn’t make all his jerks, if he ends up around 250-252 instead Lovchev will use his last attempt to win, not for the WR.

          tl;dr both approaches can lead to records. Chen isn’t going to slack off now with 145+175. Liao attempted 211 outside of a championship without a bigger motivation than the weight itself. Everything’s going to be fine.

          • Victor says

            I say, in general, it’s easier to break WR’s when you have no competition on the stage, BUT, without that competition, it’s harder to train viciously to get yourself into record-breaking form at all. Both scenarios have their merits as numerous WR’s have been broken both in heated competition and in 1-man shows.

          • Victor says

            I say, in general, it’s easier to break WR’s when you have no competition on the stage, BUT, without that competition, it’s harder to train viciously to get yourself into record-breaking form at all. Both scenarios have their merits as numerous WR’s have been broken both in heated competition and in 1-man shows.

        • wlift84 says

          You’re saying the 69-77 total records could be higher, that’s true. I’m saying if there’s close competition the chance for records in the first place is lower.

          Why does Chen Lijun now has the records? Because he had a lift left, if Kim makes 179 Chen goes for 181 to win, not 183.

          Why didn’t Lü open safely with 195? Because he only had a 4kg lead and the Chinese know Kim can do at least 200.

          Why could Lovchev attempt 264? Because Talakhadze didn’t make all his jerks, if he ends up around 250-252 instead Lovchev will use his last attempt to win, not for the WR.

          tl;dr both approaches can lead to records. Chen isn’t going to slack off now with 145+175. Liao attempted 211 outside of a championship without a bigger motivation than the weight itself. Everything’s going to be fine.

      • Victor says

        Chen specifically referred to Kim in his training, saying that he had to be ready to do at least 330 to challenge Kim Unguk. He said that his previous results were embarrassing and that he could not hold his head high with Kim around.

        If someone had been there to push Liao, the WR would not be as low as 359; he wrapped up the clean and jerk with just 193 in Almaty to leave room for himself in the future but we all know 193 is not a challenge for Liao Hui. Lu Xiaojun threw out his 3rd clean and jerk in Wroclaw with a 380 total and he was in such powerful form that he squat jerked 204 without pausing at the bottom. He may or may not have been good for 211 but I’d say if he was pushed, he’d be good for at least a couple more.

  125. GHM says

    “As a consequence, the athlete is provisionally suspended in view of a potential anti-doping rule violation.
    In any case where it is determined that the athlete did not commit an anti-doping rule violation, the relevant decision will also be published.”

    It is a possibility that their bodies still had traces from previous violation. I suggest doing tests before big competition so our sport does not get bad publicity. Start from Rio.

  126. GHM says

    “As a consequence, the athlete is provisionally suspended in view of a potential anti-doping rule violation.
    In any case where it is determined that the athlete did not commit an anti-doping rule violation, the relevant decision will also be published.”

    It is a possibility that their bodies still had traces from previous violation. I suggest doing tests before big competition so our sport does not get bad publicity. Start from Rio.

  127. David says

    Previous doping sanctions:

    HRISTOV Valentin Snezhev (m) AZE 09.04.2013 09.04.2015 IC Dehydromethyltestosterone

    ALIGULIZADA Elkhan (m) AZE 14.09.2013 14.09.2015 OOC Dehydromethyltestosterone

    ANGELOVA Silviya (w) AZE 08.04.2013 08.04.2015 IC Dehydromethyltestosterone

    KYDYRBAYEV Zhassulan (m) KAZ 11-11-2012 11-11-2014 IC Stanozolol

    ZUBOVA Olga (w) RUS 25.10.2013 25.10.2015 IC Clomiphene

    NOVIKAVA NASTASSIA/Ms. BLR 19-04-2007

    GULIYEV Firidun (m) AZE 19.06.2013 19.06.2015 OOC Oxandrolone, Dehydromethyltestosterone

    ZAIROV Intiqam (m) AZE 13.04.2013 13.04..2015 IC Dehydromethyltestosterone

    • David Oliveira says

      I wonder what’s the point of using PED’s to finish just 34th. If you are going to get popped, at least go out with a bang!

      • grobpote says

        He’d thought he wouldn’t be tested on the 34th place.At least the possibility is low.

      • grobpote says

        He’d thought he wouldn’t be tested on the 34th place.At least the possibility is low.

    • David Oliveira says

      I wonder what’s the point of using PED’s to finish just 34th. If you are going to get popped, at least go out with a bang!

  128. David says

    Previous doping sanctions:

    HRISTOV Valentin Snezhev (m) AZE 09.04.2013 09.04.2015 IC Dehydromethyltestosterone

    ALIGULIZADA Elkhan (m) AZE 14.09.2013 14.09.2015 OOC Dehydromethyltestosterone

    ANGELOVA Silviya (w) AZE 08.04.2013 08.04.2015 IC Dehydromethyltestosterone

    KYDYRBAYEV Zhassulan (m) KAZ 11-11-2012 11-11-2014 IC Stanozolol

    ZUBOVA Olga (w) RUS 25.10.2013 25.10.2015 IC Clomiphene

    NOVIKAVA NASTASSIA/Ms. BLR 19-04-2007

    GULIYEV Firidun (m) AZE 19.06.2013 19.06.2015 OOC Oxandrolone, Dehydromethyltestosterone

    ZAIROV Intiqam (m) AZE 13.04.2013 13.04..2015 IC Dehydromethyltestosterone

  131. wlift84 says

    Sorry, but I disagree with the ATG position once again, and for two reasons, both ethical.

    Doping is still cheating, and I’m obviously aware of the counter argument that everyone does it. But every medalist gets tested and not everyone fails, not every lifter is on the same steroids and dosages and of course we also have _some_ clean lifters, even if they’re not at the top. In the reality we live in it’s not just about “best of the best”, it’s also about the most reckless users. Yes, careers get ended. But what about the careers of the rest of the field, why should I be biased towards one or the other?

    The second reason is more important, and it concerns abuse. Nadezhda Nguen was 14, Ri Hyon Hwa, Tatiana Kashirina and Semen Linder all 15 when they were banned. This is abuse of minors and it’s abhorrent, especially to me when girls are given male hormones. We cannot allow this to be a quietly accepted practice.

    • Gregor says

      I am obviously biased because these people are my friends.

      I also think adults should be allowed to use all the substances they like, be it performance enhancing or degrading like alcohol for example.

      When it comes to children I agree with you.

      • GHM says

        Yes, you are right!
        All adults should be able to decide complement substances but they do not have the right to Show Off their jacked up performances to the rest of the world in the biggest stage of the sport and to steal limelight, medals and glories from other athletes.

        Let’s get back to this discussion after 2016 when we have more data. I still think some of these drugs stay in the athlete bodies after 2 or more years of layoff. Valentin Hristov being one IMO.

        • Ivan Bista says

          I am not a chemist (I am a biologist), but that does not seem accurate (the drugs staying in bodies after 2 years).

          • Carl says

            Nandrolone & Boldenone stay in the system for quite some time- 9-18+ months depending on the type. Makes you wonder why the coaches would consider giving these to the athletes.

            • Kevin Watson says

              When esters are attached, like cypionate, they are detectable for a very long time.
              And methylated orals maybe weeks.
              But just nandralone or boldenone with no ester is pretty short.

        • Kevin Watson says

          Do you have any studies showing 2 years? I have seen a doping control study on the oral steroids the Russians were caught for only being detectable for a couple weeks.
          It was done in 2010

    • Gregor says

      I am obviously biased because these people are my friends.

      I also think adults should be allowed to use all the substances they like, be it performance enhancing or degrading like alcohol for example.

      When it comes to children I agree with you.

    • mrtn86 says

      100% agree @wlift84

      we cannot forget about the social responsibility of sports only to see a few more kilos and some athletes not getting busted while cheating.

    • mrtn86 says

      100% agree @wlift84

      we cannot forget about the social responsibility of sports only to see a few more kilos and some athletes not getting busted while cheating.

    • JG says

      I have been involved in weightlifting for more than 40 years, as an athlete, an official, an now as an administrator.

      I love the sport, but when I read that I must either accept doping or be labelled a hypocrite, I take offense to that.

      We are all entitled to our opinions, but the “logic” that one must either accept doping or abandon the sport altogether is flawed. These are not our only choices.

      • Gregor says

        Okay, then what are the other choices?

        How can you cheer for a football team for example when you are against doping, yet know that these guys are all on? To me it doesn’t make sense.

        • JG says

          I cheer our novice lifters competing in their first meet. I cheer our advanced lifters as they set PRs. I cheer our masters lifters for their accomplishments.

          I cheer our athletes who compete at the nationals. I cheer our national team members who lift in the B, C and D sessions at the Olympics and Worlds.

          Should I stop cheering for them when they reach a certain result? Is there some magic sinclair total where we simply assume they are doping? I think not.

          And, for the record, I watch the A sessions and appreciate the incredible performances.

          When there are positive tests, I’m disappointed, but I worry for the future of our sport more than the fate of the athletes involved.

          If I were to accept doping, it would logically follow that I ought to encourage it for the development of our athletes. And that I will not do.

          I understand your position. Maybe the only way to ensure a truly level playing field is to allow doping. But that doesn’t make it right.

          And it doesn’t make me a hypocrite.

          Cheers.

          • GHM says

            Excellent!
            We love competition. I do not see any problem to see world champion in +105kg total only 440 kg.
            IOC has an ammunition to ban Russian weightlifting and T&F Federations from Rio IMO.

            • wat says

              “ban Russian from Rio”

              yeah, thats nive, perhaps we will indeed see 440 kg gold medal champion that…

              …
              is still on drugs tho

          • Jvhlee says

            Its the very structure of “professional” sports that remains the issue. I hardly believe any of us want to support PEDS but rather hate the framework sports at a professional level are built in and how certain athletes livelihood depending on it.

            Based on the documentary Geheimsache Doping by ARD and the followup conference it is safe to say that sports at a professional level is likely infested with doping and corrupted to the core.

            The notion that they found cover ups & obstruction of samples was the nail in the coffin for me. Whether or not you are a clean athlete does not matter if your fate is determined by the influence of others. Hard work >< Corruption. Although there are those whose "taint" is obvious such as Godelli (Kostova also has a questionable progress).

            I suppose some find it easier to process this by merely assuming doping being a part of it than remaining blissfully ignorant of the obvious shroud of corruption in sports. I guess "innocence until proven guilty" may be the way to go if there are to be any hope at all.

          • Wonderlifter says

            Well said! Very good writing!

            I also disagree. What ATG is saying is that we should let the sport ruled by the systems who can have the state-organized doping system OR strong commercially organized doping system. Or did I misunderstand something?

            No-one who has competed on his own and took the step to the platform as a clean athlete can support that ideology – it’s just wrong and distorted and against of what sport is supposed to be.

            I somehow understand Gregor’s point but honestly I’m almost hurt to be called hypocrite just because I love weightlifting and hate the doping problem in it. Now, rules are rules. How can one support one rule and have no respect on the other? To me it doesn’t make sense. And why why to support the the ideology which make it so hard for the clean systems – and there are plenty of them – to try to get their super talents to the podium? What about their professional careers which are ruined by the wrong doers? Where’s the logic?

            Yes, I also post pictures of the lifts I have a feeling that they might be difficult to perform as a clean athlete. But I don’t make myself as know-it-all judge, I try to bring out facts and background of the athlete if I only know. Before proven guilty the athletes are clean for me, even if I would know the system they come has major flaws.

            I always remember how we thought that if we get to fifth position at Europeans with Tom then it’s the ultimate success as a clean athlete. We thought there’s no way of getting medal. That was just utopia for us. But then, after 10 years of professional training, Tom decided to get into 56kg In Lignano Sabbiadoro 2008 and bang, European Gold in snatch and Silver in total. And then many more medals in coming years. It changed the perspective.

            Again, for reminder, anti-doping rules are for the protection of the athlete. 14-16 years old athlete doesn’t make the decision of taking doping. The coach does. It’s the same for any athlete in the certain systems. But after sports career, who takes the responsibility if health problems are coming? Is it ATG? Is it audience? Is it federation? Coach? Usually not. Doping rules are for protecting the athletes (sometimes from themselves).

            I hope I didn’t sound too aggressive. I really appreciate the good work of ATG. It’s just this difficult issue which I feel strongly about.

            Cheers!
            Kari

  132. wlift84 says

    Sorry, but I disagree with the ATG position once again, and for two reasons, both ethical.

    Doping is still cheating, and I’m obviously aware of the counter argument that everyone does it. But every medalist gets tested and not everyone fails, not every lifter is on the same steroids and dosages and of course we also have _some_ clean lifters, even if they’re not at the top. In the reality we live in it’s not just about “best of the best”, it’s also about the most reckless users. Yes, careers get ended. But what about the careers of the rest of the field, why should I be biased towards one or the other?

    The second reason is more important, and it concerns abuse. Nadezhda Nguen was 14, Ri Hyon Hwa, Tatiana Kashirina and Semen Linder all 15 when they were banned. This is abuse of minors and it’s abhorrent, especially to me when girls are given male hormones. We cannot allow this to be a quietly accepted practice.

  135. wlift84 says

    The Rio qualification period began on 2014-06-14, that means e.g. Russia is now at 6 positives with these four? If I’m reading section C. 3. correctly.

  136. wlift84 says

    The Rio qualification period began on 2014-06-14, that means e.g. Russia is now at 6 positives with these four? If I’m reading section C. 3. correctly.

      • wlift84 says

        My interpretation is that RUS and PRK will lose two quota places since they now have 6 positives each; MDA and BLR one (4-5 positives).

        • wlift84 says

          I went through all available sources (I think), the sanctions and news page, as well as those mentioned elsewhere (PAG bans).

          The Rio PDF language indicates all bans count, regardless of IC/OOC as well as age group beginning on 2014-06-14. Up until now we get the following:

          ALB 3
          AZE 6
          BLR 4
          BRA 1
          BUL 11
          CHN 2
          COL 1
          GEO 1
          GRE 1
          GUA 1
          HUN 1
          IND 2
          IRQ 1
          KAZ 4
          KSA 1
          MAS 1
          MDA 6
          MEX 1
          NGR 1
          POL 2
          PRK 6
          ROU 5
          RUS 7
          SEY 1
          TPE 2
          TUN 1
          TUR 1
          TKM 2
          UKR 2
          UZB 5
          VEN 2

          This means:

          Bulgaria received a fed ban, but it’s not finalized yet, CAS ruling to follow.

          Azerbaijan, (Bulgaria), Moldavia, North Korea and Russia will lose two Rio team spots.

          Belarus, Kazakhstan, Romania and Uzbekistan will lose one Rio team spot.

      • wlift84 says

        My interpretation is that RUS and PRK will lose two quota places since they now have 6 positives each; MDA and BLR one (4-5 positives).

  137. mrtn86 says

    usada takes its job serious. i’m sorry for the athletes, but i think in longterm it’s good for weightlifting in general.
    we should have more international competitions in countries like usa or germany.

    (ilya knew, why to skip worlds and lift 2 weeks later in russia…)

      • mrtn86 says

        oke, i thought at international events the national agencies perform the tests on behalf of the WADA? correct me when i’m wrong..

      • mrtn86 says

        oke, i thought at international events the national agencies perform the tests on behalf of the WADA? correct me when i’m wrong..

    • Victor says

      LOL They might never have another weightlifting competition in the US again. They’ll make a rule that you have to have won at least 1 medal at the previous World’s/Olympics to qualify as a host nation.

    • Victor says

      LOL They might never have another weightlifting competition in the US again. They’ll make a rule that you have to have won at least 1 medal at the previous World’s/Olympics to qualify as a host nation.

  138. mrtn86 says

    usada takes its job serious. i’m sorry for the athletes, but i think in longterm it’s good for weightlifting in general.
    we should have more international competitions in countries like usa or germany.

    (ilya knew, why to skip worlds and lift 2 weeks later in russia…)

  139. Kevin Watson says

    Wow!! Lovchev for ipamorelin is a shame. I’ve used it and it doesn’t do much. It’s much less helpful than many non banned supplements. I had a feeling they’d bust a bunch of people since it was in the us.

    • Denissssss says

      Russian sports minister said that Lovchev has been using ipamoreline for knee treatment. He also said that this fact was declared

        • Denissssss says

          http://tass.ru/sport/2556111

          Some important moments:

          “This is a huge disappointment, – said Mutko. – But we will work on Lovchev, because his blood tests are OK. We must clarify it. The substance was declared. Lovchev tore his lateral ligament. Maybe the concentration was wrong. Maybe we have a chance on him. What about others – this is a complete irresponsibility”. In Mutko’s opinion, RFWF president Sergey Syrtsov must be personally responsible for the doping scandal involving four athletes. “The team left clean and tested. We must deal with personal coaches and doctors. And with the weightlifitng federation president”. Mutko also said that they will struggle for Lovchev. “I can’t respond for everybody all the time. It is coaches and athletes own choice. They leave for competitions being absolutely tested. Who takes doping? I think we’ll struggle for him. Once again – we’ll support Lovchev until sanctions are imposed. We believe in him. I repeat, the substance was declared. And it was submitted in the corresponding permission. There must be presumption of innocence for athletes, an investigation must be held and the B sample must be examined. Until that moment no one is permitted to publish anything. We need a disciplinary commission decision. And now everyone is putting the carriage before the horse”. “

          • wlift84 says

            I believe this perspective. Not as in “we’re innocent”, but as in “WTF happened?” i.e. genuine surprise.

            Lovchev had a knee injury, took ipamorelin for it specifically and was declared good to go. Not by WADA, but the federation, and they either thought it’s not detectable or the IWF won’t look for it.

            With regards to the other three, they were tested before leaving Russia and from the federation’s point of view were indeed clean. Likely it’s just the case that the test used in Russia was less exhaustive/advanced than the Canadian one, where the samples were apparently sent.

      • Kevin Watson says

        I’m disappointed that he’d get caught for this. Being a protein it should not be detectable for long. It’s effects are subtle and not worth taking near a competition.

    • Denissssss says

      Russian sports minister said that Lovchev has been using ipamoreline for knee treatment. He also said that this fact was declared

    • Carl says

      I didn’t even think they could test for peptides. Did you try GHRP-2 with Mod GRF 1-29? I know it’s very similar in strength to Ipa, but I definitely noticed strength gains and excellent sleep. The only thing was the hunger was insane.

      • Kevin Watson says

        I haven’t tried mod grf.
        I sleep well and gain strength quickly already so i didn’t notice much. As they are gh releasers i don’t think they do much for strength. Studies have found that gh itself doesn’t do much for strength.

  140. Kevin Watson says

    Wow!! Lovchev for ipamorelin is a shame. I’ve used it and it doesn’t do much. It’s much less helpful than many non banned supplements. I had a feeling they’d bust a bunch of people since it was in the us.

  141. wat says

    does this mean that rezazadeh is again the WR holder? And lovchev misses rio? are apellations possible?

  142. wat says

    does this mean that rezazadeh is again the WR holder? And lovchev misses rio? are apellations possible?

  143. GHM says

    Happy Holidays to all. This is an absolutely worst present/news (lump of coal) I could receive on the X-mas eve.

    Here is Gregor quote, “What’s happening here is just politics and the athletes are the pawns that go down first.” I disagree.
    We all knew some heads will be rolling after huge busts in track and field and FIFA situation. All weightlifting federations and IWF had to do was testing participants one month before the WC competition. I ask (demand!) for this pre-competition testing before Rio to save the face of our beloved sport.

    One more situation like this and sport of weightlifting will be banned from 2020-24 Olympics IMO. IOC wants Russian T&F out of Rio. Now they have have more ammunition.

    Personally I rather see 440kg win a medal in +105kg in a close competition than a jacked up athlete.

  144. logicalfellac says

    Not this again… I think we all saw this coming with Team AZE after the initial testing results but I’m surprised by all the busts with the Russians and Kazakhs. What a huge letdown.

  145. Denissssss says

    http://tass.ru/sport/2557699
    Mutko is mad. Now he says that if Lovchev is proven guilty, the police will be called. How could he say that? It looks like he wants to shirk responsibility, and instead of fighting for Lovchev, he speaks about punishment, as if possible disqualification was not enough. Mutko is not the person we need to help Lovchev. For me it looks like Mutko has nothing to do with the sport, he is quite stupid and has no volition to debate with anti-doping organistaions. And how can he accuse Syrtsov? We’ve seen much more failures with Mutko.

  146. vlad says

    I’m sorry if I offend some fine gentlemen above that but I definitely support Gregor’s position here. We have already heard all arguments pro- and anti- and I doubt we will reach any new breakthrough insight just now. There is one thing for sure – PEDs have always been and will always be an inseparable part of professional sports – either weightlifting, gymnastics, football or marathon. I don’t think that constantly adding to and maintaining the laundry list of banned substances will ever work, until there are money, glory, celebrity status or other benefits from sports for professional purposes (just to refresh: professional = work, job, making a living). Of course there are options – ban professional sports on global level; ban all chemical substances, including synthetic vitamins, amino acids, analgesics, etc – they also support recovery and are unnatural – allow just meat and potatoes (organic, no vet drugs and GMO); limit the results and disqualify any athlete with body mass index > 25 and body fat 420-430 and delete his results…

    • GHM says

      Good point.

      Set up a professional weightlifting Federation and have its own set of records, championships, dual meets, this and that cup and so on. I will pay to watch it. Yes, countries can support these professional athletes as well like current weightlifters and wrestlers if they choose to do so. Campaign IOC to let this into Olympics just like professional tennis is now.

      Have a drug free competition with their own set of records and championships. Do not mix or match. Once lifters becomes professional can not return to drug free rank. Anyone gets caught will use privilege of ever competing at this category forever.

      As Americans say, you can not have a cake and eat it too!

      • vlad says

        Actually I have thought about that 🙂 If there is a possibility for such professional federation with a liberal policy. Maybe some weightlifting-only clone of crossfit tournaments may have the chance to evolve to a viable alternative (American-style Pro federation + already existing and constantly growing fan base seems promising.)

        Anyway – I perfectly get your point and respect it. Rules are rules – in my business I would also fight and ask for justice if competitors use illegal and unethical means to get an advantage. However rules are just not working in current situation – the reality is that no one can’t be even remotely competitive without banned PEDs, and I’m not talking about records at all. I don’t think anyone really believes that it is possible to have a thick 105kg mass at let’s say, 175cm. Or to sustain a training volume of 15 heavy training sessions a week for months. Or to get back from a serious surgery for 6 months with minimal muscle loss. And I’m not even talking about the results yet – this is just the base in order to stay in this sport.

        Don’t get me wrong – I would also watch with pleasure 440kg medals in 105+. However this means not just to erase (again) current and records and results but to reset entirely the weightlifting as a sport (and all strength, speed and power sports in general), and to retire practically all competitive weightlifters from current generation – including juniors (unfortunately they have already gone through their first base cycles).

      • Carl says

        Drug free competition? You really think lifters in the IPF (International Powerlifting Federation) don’t dope? They can just get away with using less drugs than other athletes in the untested divisions. The thing is, the spectators of all sports want to see numbers, performances & even physiques that can only be achieved via PEDs, but are appalled when the athletes return positive test results.

  147. GHM says

    “Peyton Manning Among Athletes Allegedly Connected to Doping Ring, per Report” He is a quarterback of Denver American Football team (NFL).

    http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2602626-peyton-manning-among-athletes-allegedly-connected-to-doping-ring-per-report?utm_source=cnn.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial

    Al Jazeera will air an investigative report Sunday evening, titled The Dark Side: Secrets of the Sports Dopers, which reportedly connects several athletes, including Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, to a doping ring, according to the Huffington Post’s

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxdPpW026Hc

  148. grobpote says

    I think the main issue here is that we all live and think in a bubble if it’s about doping. Human nature is the core of the problem. Greed,competitiveness,desire for power,fame and survival. I think anybody who thinks that any kind of effort can beat human nature should think again. We are always going to use drogs,alcohol and so on.It can be regulated for those who would overdo it otherwise but it can’t be erased completely.
    Giving drugs to 13-15 years old youngsters – or even younger kids for example in swimming – is utterly wrong but at the end of the day if you start taking the pills at the age of 17 it’s still underage isn’t it?And that’s pretty average I think. Khugaev probably took his first dosage years ago.
    The other thing is which I always encounter reading posts about assumed drogfree results. 440 in the SHW? 410 maybe 420 I’d say. Guys you really don’t know the impact of anabolic steroids. The athlete as a whole takes the stuff from the early teens for about 10 years when you see him winning his first medal and it’s not just a matter of one few months long drog using. The whole body grows up and develops differently by the steroids.
    Ruining the game is very bad,not be able to see the best lifters because of politics is very disappointing too.I still have some hope in my heart that Lovchev can be saved. The others are probably gone for good.
    No point to argue about drog usage.It is inevitable.

    • GHM says

      Happy New year Mr. Grobepote and T Bone.
      Personally I am OK with legalizing PED for professional sports if athletes agree. Thesr pro sports can apply to be part of Olympic sports.

      Blood testing should be conducted in all Amateur Weightlifting or any other Olympic type sport . IMO it is OK if SHW winning is 360kg let alone 410.

  149. T Bone says

    This is getting ridiculous. Just make PEDs legal already. They should be legal and administered appropriately under the supervision of a licensed physician (with the necessary experience I might add). People can’t just not talk about it and pretend it’s not there as if when we don’t talk about it it’s not a problem. I understand Gregor’s stance on the subject as far as hearing all the pros and cons but that doesn’t mean the conversation is over. As long as the problem continues to be ignored and is not addressed then discussions of the issue remain relevant. And by addressing the problem I mean accepting that PEDs are here to stay and regulating the as opposed to banning them. Banning all chemical substances is just not a logistical or reasonable response. Hopefully as time goes on and new generations get involved they will start to see the subject with a little more perspective and less stigma.

  150. grobpote says

    As much as I hate to see any lifters getting caught,I’d thought before all this had come out that if Uteshov and Kydirbaev would get busted Sedov had a shot to become the olympic champ,or at least a medalist. I said it earlier that the Kazah bubble might burst but I never assumed that the russians would get in trouble too.

  151. wlift84 says

    The temporary Russian coaches’ names are Gennady Anikanov and Kirill Zavadsky, not sure why the translation is off.