International Weightlifting Federation changes weight categories
International Weightlifting Federation has decided to change the weight categories in both men's and women's sections.
Mirabai Chanu finishes in fourth position at Paris Olympics, misses bronze by a whisker.
In an innovative move, the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) has decided to reduce the number of weight categories in both women's and men's sections from June 2025,
The International Federation plans to bring down the number of weight categories from ten to eight in both sections as proposed by the IWF Innovation Commission.
In the men's section, the 55kg category will be scraped and the competitions will start from 60kg and the categories in the 70s, 80s, and 90s will be changed also.
The new proposed categories in men's competition are: 60kg, 65kg, 71kg, 79kg, 88kg, 98kg, 110kg, +110kg as compared to 55kg, 61kg, 67kg, 73kg, 81kg, 89kg, 96kg, 102kg, 109kg, and +109kg.
Similarly in the women's competition, the 45kg category will scraped along with the 49kg category where Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu won the silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Instead of those, a new 48kg category will be introduced along with 53kg, 58kg, 63kg, 69kg, 77kg, 86kg, and +86kg as compared to 45kg, 49kg, 55kg, 59kg, 64kg, 71kg, 76kg, 81kg, 87kg, and +87kg.
The changes will be implemented from June 2025 and were approved in the recently concluded IWF Executive Board meeting in Manama, Bahrain.
Apart from the proposed changes, the IWF Congress approved amendments to the constitution of the body.
All of the IWF members have gathered in Manama as the World Weightlifting Championships is scheduled to kick off today.
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