The ongoing outbreak of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is having a big impact on international weightlifting, with competitions being cancelled or postponed, the qualification process being thrown into chaos and the Olympic Games themselves in doubt.
We will be collecting up to date information on where things stand here.
April Continental Championships
At the time of writing, this is the current situation:
- African Championships – Postponed, possibly until mid-June
- Asian Championships – Postponed to an unknown future date
- European Championships – Postponed, possibly until June
- Oceana Championships – Postponed, probably until September or October
- Pan American Championships – Postponed to an unknown future date
Olympic Games (Planned for July–August 2020)
The 2020 Olympic Games have been postponed until 2021.
Olympic Qualification
It is not known how the IWF will handle qualifying for the postponed Olympic Games.
Timeline
- 17th February – Asian Championships moved from Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan
- 26th February – East Asian Championships cancelled
- 29th February – Junior World Championships cancelled
- 29th February – IWF Congress (due to happen at Junior Worlds) cancelled
- 1st March – IWF announces that athletes may be allowed to transfer their registration if an Olympic qualifier is cancelled
- 4th March – Arnold Sports Festival bans spectators
- 6th March – Asian Championships Postponed and will not take place in April
- 10th March – African Championships Postponed, possibly until mid-June
- 10th March – European Championships postponed, possibly until June
- 14th March – Oceania Championships postponed, probably until September or October
- 14th March – Prime Minister of Japan states that the Olympic Games will go ahead.
- 18th March – IWF announces that it has agreed on changes to the Olympic qualification system, which will be passed to the IOC for ratification
- 22nd March – IOC says it will make a decision about the Olympic Games within four weeks
- 23rd March – Canada announces they will not take part in the Olympic Games unless they re postponed
- 23rd March – IOC Member Dick Pounds says that the Olympic Games will be postponed
- 23rd March – USA Olympic and Paralympic Committee urges IOC to postpone the Games
- 24th Match – IOC announces that the 2020 Olympic Games will be postponed until 2021