The Italian Absolute Championships finals took place in the Army Olympic Sports Center in Rome on December 16-17, 2023.
Giovanni Malagò (Coni President), Mohammed Jalood (IWF President), and Dr Antonio Urso (IWF General Secretary) were there and awarded Sergio Massidda and Oscar Reyes for the results obtained during the last World Championship.
Mr. Giovanni Malagò emphasized the evolving nature of the Olympic program and the challenges of maintaining and expanding sports within it. He acknowledged the International Weightlifting Federation’s (IWF) successful efforts under the leadership of Dr Antonio Urso and Mr. Mohammed Jalood in governance and reform, particularly in the fight against doping. This has been instrumental in securing weightlifting’s place in future Olympic Games. He was impressed by FIPE’s great work on gender equality, which he believes is one of the key elements of the success of this sport and is a guarantee of its future.
Dr Antonio Urso expressed gratitude to Mr. Malagò for his role in ensuring weightlifting’s inclusion in the upcoming Los Angeles 2028 and Melbourne 2032 Olympic Games. He praised the collaborative work with Mr. Jalood, noting the substantial progress made in anti-doping efforts and the positive international reception of these efforts. He also commended the Italian team’s recent successes and expressed aspirations for future Olympic participation.
Mr. Mohammed Jalood spoke of the joint commitment with Dr. Urso to uphold weightlifting’s status in the Olympic Games through efforts to ensure a clean and transparent sport. He noted the absence of doping cases in recent major competitions as a testament to these efforts and expressed his pride in being part of the event.
Tina Beiter, EWF Vice President and EWF TC Chairwoman, and Tryggve Duun, EWF TC member and EWF MC Chairman, joined this significant event. During the competition, they both worked as Jury Presidents, contributing to the event’s success, and investigating the capabilities of the new IT Referee’s system.
