Today, 31 December 2025, the Executive Board of the European Weightlifting Federation held its last official meeting for 2025 and took important decisions regarding the 2026 competition calendar.
The EWF Executive Board decided to cancel the 2026 European Junior & U23 Weightlifting Championships, which were scheduled to take place in Poland. This decision was taken after the host country failed to provide the required guarantees for visa access for athletes from Russia and Belarus.
Once again, the EWF reaffirmed its firm and consistent position that sport must remain above politics. The Federation stands for inclusion, equal opportunity, and unity through sport, and does not accept discrimination based on political or geopolitical circumstances, especially at a time when such tensions are on the rise across the world.
EWF remains committed to protecting athletes’ rights to participate fairly and without political barriers.
In addition, the Executive Board confirmed changes to the European Youth Weightlifting Championships calendar. The event originally planned for Albania in 2026 will no longer take place in that timeframe. As a result, Albania will now host the European Junior & U23 Weightlifting Championships in October 2026.
The EWF Executive Board will take a final decision regarding the venue for the 2026 European Youth & U15 Weightlifting Championships at its meeting in January 2026.
The European Weightlifting Federation remains fully dedicated to safeguarding the values of sport, supporting young athletes across Europe, and ensuring that weightlifting continues to be a platform of inclusion, respect, and solidarity.