Following the implementation of the new bodyweight categories effective from 1 June 2025, the European Weightlifting Federation is pleased to announce the European Standards for the Snatch, Clean & Jerk, and Total for all IWF age categories.
To ensure these standards are fair, consistent, and credible, the EWF Technical Committee was tasked with finalizing the values in close consultation with the EWF CRSC and the EWF MC. The EWF extends its sincere appreciation to the EWF TC members, Tryggve Duun and Mike Hoffler, for their significant contributions to this process, as well as to other EWF committee members who actively participated and offered valuable input.
Thanks to this collaborative effort, the final version of the standards reflects a balanced and well-aligned outcome based on the proposals received. The goal from the outset was to establish standards that truly reflect the current level of European weightlifting.
The intention is for most records to be broken within the first two years of implementation—ideally even within the first year—ensuring that the listed records are genuinely representative of the best performances in each new category.
To define these benchmarks, data from all European Championships since 2021 was analyzed, along with selected results from World Championships. In categories where a few lifters had significantly outperformed their peers, additional consideration was given to the performances of athletes just behind these exceptional results.
Computer-generated proposals based on the top results were used to help establish comparative standards across categories. While this provided a solid foundation, adjustments were necessary in many cases, particularly for the senior women’s categories, where some proposed values were deemed high. These adjustments were made using practical judgment and always with the aim of making the records achievable within a reasonable timeframe.
The final proposal was reviewed and slightly refined during a joint meeting of the three EWF committees. While several records may be surpassed in the first competitions under the new standards, the EWF considers this preferable to maintaining unreachable standards over an extended period.
Please find attached the final version of the European Standards:
To set a new European record, it is necessary to lift at least 1kg more than the established standard.
Additionally, the International Weightlifting Federation has today published the new World Standards, which are available here.