The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) has granted Russia the right to host the 2030 Senior World Championships. The competition will be held in Moscow. This is the first time since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine that an international federation of an Olympic sport has entrusted Russia with hosting a World Championships event of this level. Reuters reports, as cited by UNN.
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The decision was made by the IWF Executive Committee on October 25 during a meeting in Ningbo, China.
Moscow last hosted the World Weightlifting Championships in 1983, back when the Soviet Union still existed.
Russia’s return to international sport
The IWF decision was another step toward Russia’s return to the international sports arena after the restrictions imposed because of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In June 2026, the federation had already allowed Russian and Belarusian weightlifters to return to international competitions.
Now Russia has been granted the right not only to participate in tournaments but also to organize one of the main international events in an Olympic sport.
The 2029 World Weightlifting Championships, which will precede the Moscow tournament, will be held in Ahmedabad, India.