On November 22 and 23, 2024, the International Competition and Anti-Doping Seminar workshop, organized as part of the IWF and EWF Level 2 Conversion Course for coaches, was held in Bucharest, with the organizational support of the Romanian Weightlifting Federation.
51 participants from Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, France, Great Britain, Ireland, Kosovo, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and Romania took part in the 14 presentations and intensive working sessions proposed by the meeting program. The working sessions were held by presenters and lecturers in physical format and in electronic format via the Zoom platform.
The chairmen of the Coaching, Research and Scientific Committees of EWF and IWF, Colin Buckley, EWF EB Member and Petr Krol, IWF Vice President, opened the Bucharest meeting with a presentation on the 2025 International Coach License, which will become mandatory starting with next year and also coordinated the implementation of the various sessions on the event agenda.
Before the start of the sessions, the EWF President Kt. Antonio Conflitti addressed everyone electronically with a welcoming speech, wishing the attendees much success, completed by the messages of the Secretary General of EWF, Dr. Milan Mihajlovic and that of the President of the Romanian Weightlifting Federation and EWF Executive Member Alexandru Padure.
The 51 coaches had the opportunity to follow intensive presentations on topics specific to our sport with technical aspects, topics related to ethics and Fair Play, Anti-Doping, experiences about international competitions participations and Olympic preparation for Paris 2024 of some National Team coaches, topics about sports psychology and anxiety, IWF Technical Rules and Regulations and simulations during competitions, presentation of a biomechanical analysis platform, including simulations of athletes on the platform set up in the meeting room.
You can consult the topics addressed during the two days in Bucharest, below:
2025 International Coach Licence
Petr Krol (CZE) – IWF VP & CRC Chairman
Colin Buckley (IRL) – EWF CR&SC Chairman
Strategy & Tactical Aspects of Weightlifting
Arnaud Ferrari (FRA) – IWF CRC, France National Team Director
Tom Geogebuer (BEL) – EWF CR&SC, Belgium National Coach
Ethics & Fair Play
Alexandru Padure (ROU) – ROU WF President, EWF Fair Play Chairman
Super Heavy Weight: Paris Olympic Bronze, Emily Cambell
Stuart Martin (GBR) – BWL Team Head of Performance
Warm-Up Room, Role of Technical Controller, Marshalls Table & Athletes Card, Coaches Area Challenge Card
Prof. Dr. Milan Mihajlovic (SRB) – EWF General Secretary, IWF TC & ITO
Damjan Canzek (SLO) – EWF CR&SC, IWF CRC & ITO
German Weightlifting Real Analyzer: Biomechanical analysis, an essential tool for every coach
Michael Vater (GER) – German National U20s Coach
Paris Olympic Preparation: Paris Olympic Silver medallist Mihaela Cambei
Valeriu Calancea & Adrian Ionescu (ROU) – Romania National Coaches
NADO Anti-Doping Seminar: Coach Responsibilities and the 11 ADRVs & Testing Protocols
Dr. Gabriela Andreiasu (ROU) – General Director Romania National Anti-Doping Agency
International Athlete Competition Anxiety & Stresses
Ms. Andrea Alina Reut (ROU) – Romanian Team Sports Psychologist
Competition lifts: Technical Faults, Video Review
Prof. Dr. Milan Mihajlovic (SRB) – IWF Technical Committee
IWF Level 2 Coach
Prof. Dr. Kyle Pierce (USA) – IWF CRC, IWF Level 2 Program Director
IWF Level 2 Practical Session – Group Presentations & Demonstrations
The working sessions ended successfully with the presentation of IWF Certificates for Level 2 Coaches to all participants and a closing dinner.
Prior to the course, IWF President Mohamed Jalood met with the Romanian Weightlifting Federation to check out the preparations and discuss the upcoming event, emphasizing the importance of weightlifting coach education.
The activities in Bucharest, together with the other courses organized during 2024 under the auspices of the IWF and EWF with physical and online presence, are activities of a larger process related to the future implementation of the mandatory licensing system for coaches, which will come into force starting in 2025, who will participate in international weightlifting competitions.