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The meeting at Visegrád
The rulers of Hungary, Bohemia and Poland met at Visegrád in the Kingdom of Hungary. The meeting addressed regional relations and encouraged closer political and trade cooperation.
Four national federations working together to strengthen weightlifting across Central Europe through competition, education and development.
The Visegrad Four Weightlifting Federation brings together the national weightlifting federations of Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.
V4WF was formally established in August 2026, creating a structured regional platform for cooperation that had already developed over many years through competitions and youth weightlifting activities.
Its role is practical: to create more opportunities for athletes, coaches, Technical Officials and sports administrators, while strengthening cooperation between the four member federations.
The Visegrad name reaches back centuries, but for V4WF it represents the continuing idea of cooperation between the countries of this part of Central Europe.
The rulers of Hungary, Bohemia and Poland met at Visegrád in the Kingdom of Hungary. The meeting addressed regional relations and encouraged closer political and trade cooperation.
Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Poland renewed the Visegrad idea by signing a declaration of cooperation in Visegrád on 15 February 1991.
Following the peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia, Czechia and Slovakia continued separately alongside Hungary and Poland, creating the four-country V4 format.
The four countries were already cooperating through regional youth and Olympic Hopes weightlifting competitions.
Prague hosted the inaugural Visegrad 4 Cup, creating a dedicated competitive format for the four national federations.
The four national federations formally established the Visegrad Four Weightlifting Federation.
Weightlifting cooperation between the V4 countries developed through regular sporting contact rather than beginning with a new organisation. Competitions gave athletes from Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia opportunities to compete internationally within the region, while federations were able to exchange experience and work together.
The inaugural Visegrad 4 Cup was held in Prague in 2015. The competition received support from both the IWF and EWF and became one of the visible expressions of regional cooperation in weightlifting.
In August 2026, the Czech, Hungarian, Polish and Slovak national weightlifting federations formalised that long-standing relationship by establishing V4WF.
The federation now provides a framework for developing that cooperation in a more regular and coordinated way.
V4WF focuses on practical cooperation that can support the development of the sport across all four member nations.
Creating and supporting regional international competitions and additional opportunities for athletes.
Sharing experience between coaches, Technical Officials and sports administrators across the four federations.
Giving particular attention to young athletes and the next generation of weightlifters in the region.