In brief
The International Weightlifting Federation awarded Moscow the 2030 World Weightlifting Championships, marking the first time an Olympic federation has chosen Russia for a global event since the country’s full‑scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. The decision follows the International Olympic Committee’s April 2024 move to provisionally lift the suspension on the Russian Olympic Committee, opening the door for Russian athletes to compete under their flag at future Olympic Games. Moscow has not hosted a senior world championship in weightlifting since 1983, and the event will also serve as a qualifier for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics. Ukraine has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to reverse the IOC’s decision, while the International Paralympic Committee has already restored Russian athletes’ rights to compete under their national symbols.
Moscow is preparing to host the 2030 World Weightlifting Championships, the first time an Olympic federation has chosen Russia for a global event since the country’s full‑scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.
The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) announced the decision on Sunday, following the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) April decision to provisionally lift the suspension on the Russian Olympic Committee, which had been imposed after the invasion.
The move allows Russian athletes to compete for their country at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and could spread to other major international competitions. It also opens the way for the 2030 championships to be a qualifying event for the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games.
Moscow has never hosted the senior world championships since 1983, and the decision comes after other events—such as the 2025 World Aquatics Championships originally awarded to Kazan—were relocated to Singapore.
“I am proud that the IWF has returned the pinnacle of our sport to Moscow,” said Federation president Aleksandr Vinokurov in a Telegram post. “Russia possesses the infrastructure and experience to deliver a world‑class event.”
The IWF also confirmed earlier this month that the 2029 senior championships will be held in Ahmedabad, India, and that the 2029 junior, youth and senior world championships have been awarded to cities across the globe.
Ukraine has filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to overturn the IOC’s decision, arguing that the reinstatement of Russian athletes and officials unfairly rewards a nation that continues to occupy Ukrainian territory. The IOC, meanwhile, has indicated that it will not organize its own events in Russia or invite Russian state officials to them.
In the meantime, Russia’s athletes continue to compete under neutral flags in the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2026 IWF World Championships scheduled in Ningbo, China, with five Ukrainian competitors already entered for the event.
