What is the IWF?
The International Weightlifting Federation is the sport's world governing body — founded in 1905, headquartered in Lausanne — and since 2022 led by Mohammed Jalood of Iraq, re-elected in Riyadh in 2025 with 168 votes for a term to 2029.[1] [2]
What does it govern?
The rules and equipment standards; the World Championships and continental championships; the Grand Prix and World Cup qualification events; world records; and the Olympic qualification rankings — under an anti-doping program now delegated to the International Testing Agency.[2] [3]
Why does it matter?
Beyond records and rankings, the IWF is the case study in Olympic-program survival: its reforms are what kept a founding Olympic sport on the LA28 schedule.[3] [4]
References
- IWF — Mohammed Jalood elected IWF President. Accessed August 2026.
- IWF — official site. Accessed August 2026.
- IWF — Jalood re-elected, 2025. Accessed August 2026.
- Olympics.com — Weightlifting. Accessed August 2026.