The history of the development of weightlifting in Russia

  • Vladislav Francievich Kraevskiy opened a weight-lifting training gym in Saint-Petersburg. This date is considered to be the official birth date of weight-lifting in Russia.
  • The first champion of Russia in weightlifting was Guido Meyer from St. Petersburg.
  • The Russian weightlifter Georg Gakkenshmidt won the 3rd place in the amount of 14 exercises.
  • The first World champion from Russia was Sergey Eliseev (Ufa).
  • The Organizing Committee for creating The International Weight-lifting Federation was found.
  • The representatives of the Weightlifting Clubs of the cities of the Russian Empire founded the All-Russian Union of Weightlifters (ARUW). Ludwig Chaplinsky was elected as a President of the organization.
  • The World Union of Weightlifters was founded in Berlin. Hungarian Peter Tatich was elected as a President, and the representative of the Russian Olympic Committee Ludwig Chaplinsky was elected as a Secretary.
  • The All-Russian Union of Weightlifters held the first national championship in Moscow. The first champion of the Soviet Republic – Alexander Bukharov.
  • The Soviet weightlifters joined the ranks of the International Amateur Weightlifting Federation
  • Ivan Udodov became the 1st champion from the Soviet Union at the Olympic Games in Helsinki, Finland.
  • Yuriy Vlasov became the 1st Heavyweight Champion from the USSR at the Olympic Games in Rome, Italy. He set new Olympic records in all three lifts, and the World ones — in clean & jerk. During his entire career Yuri Vlasov was a World Champion 4 times, a European Champion — 6 times, a National Champion — 5 times. At the Olympics in Rome he won a gold medal, and in Tokyo — a silver medal. He set 31 world records and 41 all-Union ones.
  • The European Weight-lifting Federation was found.
  • Vasiliy Alekseev scored-in the amount of 600 kg for the 1st time in the history of powerlifting. He is an Honored Master of Sports, a 2-time Olympic Champion, an 8-time World & European Champion. He set 79 world records and 81 records of the USSR.
  • The 100 Year Anniversary of Russian weight-lifting was celebrated in Saint-Petersburg. In honor of this, a solemn plenum of the USSR Weight-lifting Federation was held. By that time there were about 1000 world records, 33 highest Olympic awards, 131 gold medals of the World Championships, 175 top awards of the European Championships on account of its bogatyrs. The Soviet weightlifters won 25 team victories in the World Championships, and 31 — in 34 European ones.
  • The 1st World Women’s Weightlifting Championship took place.
  • The 1st Women’s Weightlifting Championship of Russia took place.
  • Women’s weightlifting was included in the program of the Olympic Games.

Weight divisions (men)

Years 1905-1913 1913-1946 1947-1950 1951-1968 1969-1976 1977-1992 1993-1997 Since 1998
Flyweight - - - - 52 kg 52 kg 54 kg -
Bantam - - 56 kg 56 kg 56 kg 56 kg 59 kg 56 kg
Feather - 60 kg 60 kg 60 kg 60 kg 60 kg 64 kg 62 kg
Light 70 kg 67,5 kg 67,5 kg 67,5 kg 67,5 kg 67,5 kg 70 kg 69 kg
Welter 80 kg 75 kg 75 kg 75 kg 75 kg 75 kg 76 kg 77 kg
Medium - 82,5 kg 82,5 kg 82,5 kg 82,5 kg 82,5 kg 83 kg 85 kg
Light-heavy - - - 90 kg 90 kg 90 kg 91 kg 94 kg
Heavy Ov. 80 kg Ov. 82,5 kg Ov. 82,5 kg Ov. 90 kg Ab. 110 kg 100 kg 99 kg 105 kg
Second heavy - - - - - 110 kg 108 kg -
Ultra-heavy - - - - Ov. 110 kg Ov. 110 kg Ov. 108 kg Ov. 105 kg

Weightlifting in the program of the Olympic Games

Weightlifting is in the program of the Olympic Games since 1896 (except the years 1900, 1908, 1912). The program of competitions and weight divisions of athletes constantly changed. Athletes competed in press and jerk with two hands, sometimes in jerk and clean and jerk with one hand. Since:

  • 1920 — in clean and jerk with one hand, jerk with two hands.
  • 1924 — in clean and jerk with one hand, snatch, jerk, snatch and clean with two hands;
  • 1928 to 1972 — in clean and jerk, jerk with two hands;
  • 1973 — clean and jerk with two hands.

Russian weightlifters in the USSR and CIS national team at the Olympic Games

  • Gold Silver Bronze
    1 ×
    • Ivan Udodov (56 kg)
    		 - -
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    2 ×
    • Feder Bogdanovskij (75 kg)
    • Arkadij Vorob'ev (90 kg)
    		 3 ×
    • Vladimir Stogov (56 kg)
    • Evgenij Minaev (60 kg)
    • Ravil' Habutdinov (67,5 kg)
    		 -
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    3 ×
    • Evgenij Minaev (60 kg)
    • Viktor Bushuev (67,5 kg)
    • Aleksandr Kurynov (75 kg)
    		 1 ×
    • Trofim Lomakin (90 kg)
    		 -
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    3 ×
    • Aleksej Vahonin (56 kg)
    • Rudol'f Plyukfel'der (82,5 kg)
    • Vladimir Golovanov (90 kg)
    		 3 ×
    • Vladimir Kaplunov (67,5 kg)
    • Viktor Kurencov (75 kg)
    • YUrij Vlasov (+90 kg)
    		 -
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    2 ×
    • Viktor Kurencov (75 kg)
    • Boris Selickij (82,5 kg)
    		 - -
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    2 ×
    • Muharbij Kirzhinov (67,5 kg)
    • YAan Tal'ts (110 kg)
    		 - 1 ×
    • Gennadij CHetin (56 kg)
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    4 ×
    • Aleksandr Voronin (52 kg)
    • Nikolaj Kolesnikov (60 kg)
    • David Rigert (90 kg)
    • Vasilij Alekseev (+110 kg)
    		 - -
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    - 1 ×
    • Igor' Nikitin (100 kg)
    		 -
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    1 ×
    • Viktor Tregubov (100 kg)
    		 - 1 ×
    • Ibragim Samadov (60 kg)
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    2 ×
    • Aleksej Petrov (94 kg)
    • Andrej CHemerkin (+108 kg)
    		 1 ×
    • Sergej Syrcov (108 kg)
    		 -
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    - - 2 ×
    • Aleksej Petrov (91 kg)
    • Andrej CHemerkin (+105 kg)
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    1 ×
    • Dmitrij Berestov (105 kg)
    		 2 ×
    • Hadzhimurat Akkaev (94 kg)
    • Nataliya Zabolotnaya (75 kg)
    		 4 ×
    • EHduard Tyukin (94 kg)
    • Gleb Pisarevskij (105 kg)
    • Zarema Kasaeva (69 kg)
    • Valentina Popova (75 kg)
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    - 3 ×
    • Dmitrij Klokov (105 kg)
    • Evgenij CHigishev (+105 kg)
    • Oksana Slivenko (69 kg)
    		 -
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    - 1 ×
    • Tat'yana Kashirina (+75 kg)
    		 1 ×
    • Ruslan Albegov (+105 kg)

The Russian weightlifters won 25 gold medals at the Olympic Games. Arkady Vorobyov and Vasily Alekseev became two-time Olympic champions. The most titled of the Russian and USSR weightlifters – Vasily Alekseev: he was the strongest weightlifter of the XXth century, the Honored Master of Sports of the USSR, eight-time champion of the world and Europe, Honored Coach of the RSFSR and USSR. He set 80 world records and 81 record of the USSR and was awarded the Order of Lenin, the Order of the Badge of Honour, the Order of the Red Banner of Labour, the Order of Peoples' Friendship, the second-class medal of the Order of Merit for the Motherland, the Order of Friendship.

Russian weightlifters in the USSR and CIS national team at the World Championships

  • Gold Silver Bronze
    - - 2 x
    • Evgenij Lopatin (Moscow)
    • Vladimir Pushkarev (Moscow)
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    3 x
    • Ivan Udodov (Rostov-na-Donu)
    • Nikolaj Saksonov (Sverdlovsk)
    • Arkadij Vorobev (Sverdlovsk)
    		 2 x
    • Dmitrij Ivanov (Moscow)
    • Trofim Lomakin (Moscow)
    		 1 x
    • Yurij Duganov (Leningrad)
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    3 x
    • Bakir Farhutdinov (Moscow)
    • Dmitrij Ivanov (Moscow)
    • Arkadij Vorobev (Sverdlovsk)
    		 3 x
    • Ivan Udodov (Rostov-na-Donu)
    • Fedor Bogdanovskij (Leningrad)
    • Trofim Lomakin (Moscow)
    		 -
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    3 x
    • Vladimir Stogov (Moscow)
    • Nikolaj Kostylev (Smolensk)
    • Arkadij Vorobev (Sverdlovsk)
    		 2 x
    • Ivan Udodov (Rostov-na-Donu)
    • Fedor Bogdanovskij (Leningrad)
    		 -
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    6 x
    • Vladimir Stogov (Moscow)
    • Evgenij Minaev (Moscow)
    • Viktor Bushuev (Gorky)
    • Trofim Lomakin (Moscow)
    • Arkadij Vorobev (Sverdlovsk)
    • Aleksej Medvedev (Moscow)
    		 1 x
    • Fedor Bogdanovskij (Leningrad)
    		 -
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    5 x
    • Vladimir Stogov (Moscow)
    • Viktor Bushuev (Gorky)
    • Trofim Lomakin (Moscow)
    • Arkadij Vorobev (Sverdlovsk)
    • Aleksej Medvedev (Moscow)
    		 2 x
    • Evgenij Minaev (Moscow)
    • Fedor Bogdanovskij (Leningrad)
    		 -
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    4 x
    • Vladimir Stogov (Moscow)
    • Viktor Bushuev (Gorky)
    • Rudolf Plyukfelder (Kiselevsk)
    • Yurij Vlasov (Moscow)
    		 3 x
    • Akop Faradzhan (Moscow)
    • Fedor Bogdanovskij (Leningrad)
    • Arkadij Vorobev (Sverdlovsk)
    		 -
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    4 x
    • Vladimir Stogov (Moscow)
    • Aleksandr Kurynov (Kazan)
    • Rudolf Plyukfelder (Kiselevsk)
    • Yurij Vlasov (Moscow)
    		 2 x
    • Evgenij Minaev (Moscow)
    • Sergej Lopatin (Moscow)
    		 1 x
    • Arkadij Vorobev (Sverdlovsk)
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    4 x
    • Evgenij Minaev (Moscow)
    • Vladimir Kaplunov (Habarovsk)
    • Aleksandr Kurynov (Kazan)
    • Yurij Vlasov (Moscow)
    		 1 x
    • Evgenij Kacura (Kazan)
    		 1 x
    • Vladimir Stogov (Moscow)
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    3 x
    • Aleksej Vahonin (Kiselevsk)
    • Aleksandr Kurynov (Kazan)
    • Yurij Vlasov (Moscow)
    		 1 x
    • Rudolf Plyukfelder (Shakhty)
    		 1 x
    • Vladimir Kaplunov (Habarovsk)
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    1 x
    • Viktor Kurencov (Habarovsk)
    		 1 x
    • Vladimir Golovanov (Habarovsk)
    		 2 x
    • Vladimir Kaplunov (Habarovsk)
    • Aleksandr Kurynov (Kazan)
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    3 x
    • Aleksej Vahonin (Shakhty)
    • Evgenij Kacura (Moscow)
    • Viktor Kurencov (Moscow)
    		 - -
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    1 x
    • Viktor Kurencov (Habarovsk)
    		 1 x
    • Vladimir Smetanin (Sverdlovsk)
    		 1 x
    • Boris Selickij (Leningrad)
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    3 x
    • Viktor Kurencov (Habarovsk)
    • Vasilij Kolotov (Pervouralsk)
    • Vasilij Alekseev (Shakhty)
    		 - 2 x
    • Vladimir Smetanin (Sverdlovsk)
    • David Rigert (Shakhty)
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    5 x
    • Gennadij Chetin (Perm)
    • Vladimir Kanygin (Blagoveshchensk)
    • David Rigert (Shakhty)
    • Yurij Kozin (Moscow)
    • Vasilij Alekseev (Shakhty)
    		 1 x
    • Vasilij Kolotov (Pervouralsk)
    		 1 x
    • Muharbij Kirzhinov (Moscow).
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    5 x
    • Muharbij Kirzhinov (Moscow)
    • Vladimir Ryzhenkov (Moscow)
    • David Rigert (Shakhty)
    • Pavel Pervushin (Leningrad)
    • Vasilij Alekseev (Shakhty)
    		 1 x
    • Vasilij Kolotov (Pervouralsk)
    		 -
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    2 x
    • David Rigert (Shakhty)
    • Vasilij Alekseev (Shakhty)
    		 1 x
    • Nikolaj Kolesnikov (Rostov-na-Donu)
    		 -
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    2 x
    • David Rigert (Shakhty)
    • Vasilij Alekseev (Shakhty)
    		 2 x
    • Aleksandr Voronin (Kemerovo)
    • Nikolaj Kolesnikov (Rostov-na-Donu)
    		 -
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    5 x
    • Aleksandr Voronin (Kemerovo)
    • Nikolaj Kolesnikov (Rostov-na-Donu)
    • Gennadij Bessonov (Shakhty)
    • Anatolij Kozlov (Holmsk)
    • Vasilij Alekseev (Ryazan)
    		 2 x
    • Sergej Pevzner (Rostov-na-Donu)
    • Aslanbek Enaldiev (Ordzhonikidze)
    		 -
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    2 x
    • Nikolaj Kolesnikov (Rostov-na-Donu)
    • David Rigert (Shakhty)
    		 2 x
    • Gennadij Bessonov (Shakhty)
    • Sergej Arakelov (Krasnodar)
    		 -
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    3 x
    • Gennadij Bessonov (Shakhty)
    • Pavel Syrchin (Krasnokamsk)
    • Sergej Arakelov (Krasnodar)
    		 2 x
    • Aleksandr Voronin (Kemerovo)
    • Viktor Veretennikov (Volgograd)
    		 -
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    - 2 x
    • Yurij Zaharevich (Dimitrovgrad)
    • Vyacheslav Klokov (Malahovka)
    		 1 x
    • Nikolaj Zaharov (Kemerovo)
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    1 x
    • Sergej Arakelov (Krasnodar)
    		 2 x
    • Yurij Zaharevich (Dimitrovgrad)
    • Vyacheslav Klokov (Liubercy)
    		 -
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    2 x
    • Pavel Kuznecov (Vladimir)
    • Vyacheslav Klokov (Balashiha)
    		 3 x
    • Vladimir Kuznecov (Krasnodar)
    • Viktor Solodov (Myski)
    • Aleksandr Popov (Krasnoyarsk)
    		 -
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    2 x
    • Viktor Solodov (Myski)
    • Yurij Zaharevich (Dimitrovgrad)
    		 2 x
    • Pavel Kuznecov (Vladimir)
    • Aleksandr Gunyashev (Taganrog)
    		 -
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    1 x
    • Yurij Zaharevich (Dimitrovgrad)
    		 3 x
    • Israil Arsamakov (Groznyj)
    • Viktor Solodov (Myski)
    • Boris Seregin (Tula)
    		 1 x
    • Aleksej Kolokolcev (Kemerovo)
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    2 x
    • Pavel Kuznecov (Vladimir)
    • Yurij Zaharevich (Dimitrovgrad)
    		 - -
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    - 1 x
    • Rizvan Geliskhanov (Taganrog)
    		 1 x
    • Pavel Kuznecov (Vladimir)
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    - 1 x
    • Artur Akoev (Vladikavkaz)
    		 -
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    2 x
    • Ibragim Samadov (Groznyj)
    • Artur Akoev (Vladikavkaz)
    		 - -
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    1 x
    • Viktor Tregubov (Shakhty)
    		 1 x
    • Sergej Syrcov (Taganrog)
    		 1 x
    • Andrej Chemerkin (Solnechnodolsk)
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    2 x
    • Aleksej Petrov (Volgograd)
    • Sergej Syrcov (Taganrog)
    		 2 x
    • Viktor Tregubov (Shakhty)
    • Andrej Chemerkin (Solnechnodolsk)
    		 2 x
    • Artur Akoev (Vladikavkaz)
    • Albina Homich (Angarsk)
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    2 x
    • Igor Alekseev (Ufa)
    • Andrej Chemerkin (Solnechnodolsk)
    		 1 x
    • Sergej Syrcov (Taganrog)
    		 -
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    2 x
    • Maksim Agapitov (Moscow)
    • Andrej Chemerkin (Solnechnodolsk)
    		 - -
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    1 x
    • Andrej Chemerkin (Solnechnodolsk)
    		 - 3 x
    • Yurij Myshkovec (Sankt-Peterburg)
    • Valentina Popova (Voronezh)
    • Irina Kasimova (Odintsovo)
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    1 x
    • Andrej Chemerkin (Solnechnodolsk)
    		 1 x
    • Evgenij Shishlyannikov (Zima)
    		 1 x
    • Valentina Popova (Voronezh)
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    3 x
    • Vladimir Smorchkov (Omsk)
    • Valentina Popova (Voronezh)
    • Albina Homich (Angarsk)
    		 3 x
    • Oleg Perepechenov (Taganrog)
    • Roman Meshcheryakov (Novokuzneck)
    • Svetlana Habirova (Sterlitamak)
    		 1 x
    • Andrej Chemerkin (Solnechnodolsk)
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    1 x
    • Svetlana Habirova (Sterlitamak)
    		 3 x
    • Valentina Popova (Voronezh)
    • Albina Homich (Angarsk)
    • Oleg Perepechenov (Belyj Yar)
    		 1 x
    • Vladimir Smorchkov (Omsk)
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    - 2 x
    • Albina Homich (Angarsk)
    • Vladimir Smorchkov (Omsk)
    		 1 x
    • Valentina Popova (Voronezh)
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    2 x
    • Dmitrij Klokov (Moscow)
    • Zarema Kasaeva (Kursk)
    		 4 x
    • Muhamat Sozaev (Tyrnyauz)
    • Evgenij Chigishev (Novokuzneck)
    • Svetlana Shimkova (Bugulma)
    • Nataliya Zabolotnaya (Salsk)
    		 4 x
    • Aslambek Ehdiev (Groznyj)
    • Marina Shainova (Konokovo)
    • Olga Kiseleva (Mtsensk)
    • Svetlana Podobedova (Zima)
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    1 x
    • Oksana Slivenko (Moscow)
    		 6 x
    • Svetlana Carukaeva (Moscow)
    • Svetlana Shimkova (Bugulma)
    • Tatyana Matveeva (Zima)
    • Nadezhda Evstyuhina (Moscow)
    • Aslambek Ehdiev (Groznyj)
    • Dmitrij Lapikov (Kaliningrad)
    		 3 x
    • Zarema Kasaeva (Kursk)
    • Roman Konstantinov (Novokuzneck)
    • Dmitrij Klokov (Ufa)
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    2 x
    • Oksana Slivenko (Moscow)
    • Roman Konstantinov (Novokuzneck)
    		 5 x
    • Marina Shainova (Konokovo)
    • Svetlana Carukaeva (Moscow)
    • Nataliya Zabolotnaya (Salsk)
    • Aslambek Ehdiev (Groznyj)
    • Evgenij Chigishev (Novokuzneck)
    		 2 x
    • Nadezhda Evstyuhina (Moscow)
    • Dmitrij Klokov (Balashiha)
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    - 4 x
    • Svetlana Carukaeva (Vladikavkaz)
    • Oksana Slivenko (Moscow)
    • Tatyana Kashirina (Noginsk)
    • Dmitrij Lapikov (Kaliningrad)
    		 1 x
    • Roman Konstantinov (Novokuznetsk)
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    3 x
    • Aleksandr Ivanov (Novomyshastovskaya)
    • Svetlana Shimkova (Bugulma)
    • Tatyana Kashirina (Noginsk)
    		 4 x
    • Nataliya Zabolotnaya (Salsk)
    • Armen Kazaryan (Samara)
    • Aleksej Yufkin (Saransk)
    • Dmitrij Klokov (Ufa)
    		 2 x
    • Nadezhda Evstyuhina (Moscow)
    • Vladimir Smorchkov (Omsk)
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    4 x
    • Svetlana Carukaeva (Himki)
    • Oksana Slivenko (Moscow)
    • Nadezhda Evstyuhina (Moscow)
    • Hadzhimurat Akkaev (Tyrnyauz)
    		 3 x
    • Tatyana Kashirina (Noginsk)
    • Oleg CHen (Anapa)
    • Dmitrij Klokov (Ufa)
    		 1 x
    • Tatyana Matveeva (Sankt-Peterburg)
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    6 x
    • Tima Turieva (Himki)
    • Nadezhda Evstyuhina (Moscow)
    • Tatyana Kashirina (Noginsk)
    • Apti Auhadov (Groznyj)
    • Aleksandr Ivanov (Novomyshastovskaya)
    • Ruslan Albegov (Himki)
    		 2 x
    • Oleg Chen (Anapa)
    • David Bedzhanyan (Solnechnodolsk)
    		 3 x
    • Elena Shadrina (Chelyabinsk)
    • Artem Okulov (Chusovoj)
    • Aleksej Lovchev (Moscow)
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    3 x
    • Nadezhda Evstyuhina (Moscow)
    • Tatyana Kashirina (Noginsk)
    • Ruslan Albegov (Himki)
    		 1 x
    • Tima Turieva (Himki)
    		 2 x
    • Artem Okulov (Chusovoj)
    • David Bedzhanyan (Solnechnodolsk)
  • Gold Silver Bronze
    1 x
    • Artem Okulov (Chusovoj)
    		 2 x
    • Tima Turieva (Himki)
    • Oleg Chen (Anapa)
    • David Bedzhanyan (Solnechnodolsk)
    		 2 x
    • Anastasiya Romanova (Krasnodar)
    • Apti Auhadov (Groznyj)

66 Russian weightlifters won the gold medals of the world championships, 97 Russians became the champions of Europe.

Weightlifting 130 years later

130 years later weightlifting continues to develop actively (its brisk growth). The Russian national team takes part and wins medals at various international competitions, such as:

  • The Olympic Games;
  • The Youth Olympic Games;
  • The Men’s and Women’s World Championships;
  • The World Junior Championships under the age of 21;
  • The World Championships for girls and boys under the age of 18;
  • The Men’s and Women’s European Championships;
  • The Youth European Under-24 Championships;
  • The European Junior Championships for women and men under the age of 21;
  • Juvenile;
  • The European Junior Championships for boys and girls under the age of 18.

The All-Russian Tournaments, Championships and Competitions in various weight divisions are held. A special place in the calendar of All-Russian and International Competitions is hold by The International Tournament “Russian Federation President’s Cup in Weightlifting”.

Many long-term programs aimed at supporting and promoting sport and a healthy lifestyle were established at the federal and regional level in the Russian Federation. One of the proofs of this statement is the decree “On the establishment of the Russian President's Cup in weightlifting”, signed by the President of the Russian Federation D.A. Medvedev on February 3, 2011. The status of the Tournament was prolonged in 2014 by President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin. This is the 1st international start, continuing the tradition of the friendship cup after the 20-year break. The International and the European Weightlifting Federations welcomed this initiative with great enthusiasm.

The International Tournament of the President's Cup is annual. The Cup — the main tournament trophy — is perpetual. It is awarded to the winning team in the team classification. Scaled-down models of the President's Cup in weightlifting are awarded to athletes winners in each weight division. This tournament is a qualification phase for the Olympic Games, it is included in the IWF Calendar. Its organizers are the International Weightlifting Federation, the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation and the Russian Weightlifting Federation.

The competitions were held in:

  • Belgorod (2011);
  • St. Petersburg (2012);
  • Mytishchi (2013);
  • Noyabrsk (2014).

At the moment the Russian national team makes the top 5 in the world. Russian athletes set up many world records.

The 5th Anniversary President’s Cup (2015)

Two significant events took place in 2015: the 130 years of Russian weightlifting and the 5th Anniversary Russian President’s Cup. The Tournament was hold in December 2015 in Grozny (the Chechen Republic). The celebration of the Jubilee of the Russian weightlifting, celebration of master games and outstanding athletes took place within the framework of this event.

Records set by Russian athletes in the older-age group

Name & Surname, Weight division Record, Date
Oleg Perepechetov, 77 kg 210 kg, clean and jerk (2001)
Tsarukaeva Svetlana, 63 kg 117 kg, snatch (2011)
Zabolotnaya Nataliya, 75 kg 135 kg, snatch (2011); 296 kg, snatch, clean & jerk combination (2011)
Kashirina Tatyana, over 75 kg 155 kg, clean & jerk; 193 kg, snatch; 348 kg, snatch, clean & jerk combination (2014)

Conclusion

We are sincerely thankful to all those who supports the development of weightlifting in Russia for 130 years. Thanks to all of you weightlifting is still popular in our country. We congratulate all the fans of our wonderful sport and we hope it will continue to evolve harmonically, triumphing over difficulties on its way. We believe, that our children and grandchildren will preserve and multiply the glorious traditions of Russian weightlifting for the benefit of the development and prosperity of sports in Russia!