Russia has been awarded the right to host the 2030 World Weightlifting Championships, the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) announced on Oct. 25. It is the first time since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 that the country has been awarded a major international competition in an Olympic sport.
The announcement is part of a larger trend. In January, the IWF allowed Russian athletes in the under-23 category to compete internationally under the Russian flag and anthem. In June, the federation lifted all remaining restrictions on athletes from Russia and Belarus. And in July, the International Olympic Committee reinstated the Russian Olympic Committee and recommended that international sports federations lift restrictions on Russian athletes’ participation in competitions.
On Oct. 25, the IWF selected the hosts of four world championships, scheduled to take place between 2028 and 2030. In 2028, the Youth World Weightlifting Championships will be held in Pristina, Kosovo, while the Junior World Championships will take place in Caracas, Venezuela. The Senior World Weightlifting Championships will be held in Ahmedabad, India, in 2029.
