A summer full of spectacular weightlifting kicks off in Yerevan, Armenia, with the commencement of the 2023 International Weightlifting Federation‘s (IWF) European Weightlifting Championships (EWC).
This year’s EWC, which begins on Apr. 15 and runs through Apr. 23, will showcase many of the best weightlifters in the European circuit and illustrate who has the best shot of making it to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Below, you’ll find everything you need to know about the competition, including session scheduling, athletes to watch, and live stream information.
View this post on Instagram
[Related: 2023 IWF Pan American Weightlifting Championships Full Results & Highlights]
2023 European Weightlifting Championships | Session Schedule
The event in Yerevan runs for eight days. Below is a breakdown of when each “A-Group” — the sessions with the highest and most competitive entry Totals — will take place.
Note: All times are listed in GMT.
Women A-Groups
- 45A: April 15, 13:30
- 49A: April 15, 16:00
- 55A: April 16, 13:30
- 59A: April 17, 13:30
- 64A: April 18, 13:30
- 71A: April 19, 13:30
- 76A: April 20, 16:00
- 81A: April 21, 13:30
- 87A: April 22, 16:00
- +87A: April 23, 9:30
Men A-Groups
- 55A: April 16, 11:00
- 61A: April 16, 16:00
- 67A: April 17, 16:00
- 73A: April 18, 16:00
- 81A: April 19, 16:00
- 89A: April 20, 13:30
- 96A: April 21, 16:00
- 102A: April 22, 11:00
- 109A: April 22, 13:30
- +109A: April 23, 12:00
Additional information about session start times, including those of B- and C-Group athletes, can be found in the EWC 2023 start book.
2023 European Weightlifting Championships | Live Streams
Viewers have more options than ever to catch all the weightlifting action at the 2023 EWC. In 2022, Weightlifting House provided a comprehensive, all-access live stream to viewers in nearly a dozen countries. They’ve returned this year with a more expansive coverage plan:
“We’ve heavily invested in the customer experience this year. Fans can purchase live access to individual sessions and access post-session replays on demand, rather than hours afterward — we want this to be the Netflix of weightlifting,” House founder Sebastian “Seb” Ostrowicz told BarBend over email.
View this post on Instagram
[Related: Tips and Tricks for Your First Weightlifting Meet]
Weightlifting House offers several different pay-per-view plans, ranging from $5.00 per individual session up to $21.99 to stream the entire event with additional bonus media material all through their website. Additionally, the Olympics website offers its own free live stream of the competition for viewers, though access may be limited depending on your country of origin.
2023 European Weightlifting Championships | Who to Watch
As the 2024 Olympic Games draws ever closer, weightlifters all over Europe are tightening their grips on the barbell in hopes of making it to the most prestigious stage in sports. EWC 2023 serves as a qualification event for lifters hoping to make it to the Games, so you can expect the battles to be fierce in Armenia. Here are a few athletes to keep an eye on throughout the competition.
Karlos Nasar (BUL) vs. Antonino Pizzolato (ITA) — M89KG
Bulgaria’s prodigy (and multi-world-record holder) Karlos Nasar will face off against veteran and Tokyo Olympian Antonino Pizzolato in the Men’s 89-kilogram class. Both athletes are considered to be at the top of their game in one of the sport’s most hotly contested divisions.
[Related: Five of the Best Weightlifting Moments in 2022]
Despite taking the world record clean & jerk from Pizzolato at the 2022 World Weightlifting Championships (the Italian was not present due to injury), Nasar has not yet defeated Pizzolato in a true head-to-head battle. Both athletes are capable of putting up a big Total on the platform, and both have what it takes to win the gold medal with room to spare.
Yusuf Genc (TUR) — M73KG
Yusuf Genc, the 20-year-old from Turkey, is one of Ostrowicz’s dark horse picks as someone he expects to put up a stellar performance in Armenia. Genc may have the third-highest entry Total in the 73-kilogram class, but he did win the gold medal in the clean & jerk at last year’s World Championships in the 67-kilogram class.
With another six kilos of body weight and plenty of time in the gym, Genc may be a force to be reckoned with in both the clean & jerks and the overall rankings — and he’s still a Junior athlete.
Giulia Miserendino (ITA) vs. Loredana Toma (ROU) — W71KG
Romania’s Loredana Toma has had her weight class in a chokehold for years. Formerly a 64-kilogram athlete, Toma, a four-time EWC winner, dominated the World stage last December in the 71s, where she won the overall title and set a 119-kilogram snatch world record in the process. The 71-kilogram category had not seen an athlete exceed the 117-kilogram standard since it was originally set in 2018.
View this post on Instagram
[Related: Best Weightlifting Moments From the 2020 Tokyo Olympics]
Giulia Miserendino placed ninth at the 2022 World Championships. However, the 20-year-old Italian has won the European Junior Championships twice: This is her first appearance at the senior-level EWC, and, most interestingly, she’s matched Toma’s 240-kilogram entry Total. She may be the underdog, but to declare the same Total as the most dominant 71 in the world is a statement in its own right.
Lasha Talakhadze (GEO) vs. Varazdat Lalayan (ARM) — M109KG
Georgia’s Lasha Talakhadze is the strongest weightlifter to ever live, period. Talakhadze has won the Olympics twice (2016, 2020) and both the Worlds and Europeans six times each. He’s Totaled more than any weightlifter in history and, for all intents and purposes, has made the super-heavyweight division a battle for silver for almost a decade.
However, 23-year-old Varazdat Lalayan has emerged over the course of the last year as a potential challenger to the greatest super-heavyweight of all time. At last year’s EWC, Lalayan nearly edged out Talakhadze, and the same thing happened six months later at Worlds, where the two men Totaled within five kilograms of each other.
[Related: What You Need to Know About How to Increase Strength]
This time, Lalayan will have his home crowd behind him and has undoubtedly been hard at work in the gym in the hopes of beginning a new dynasty in the 109-kilogram division.
Iryna Dekha (UKR) — 81KG
Ukraine’s Iryna Dekha may be one of the best female weightlifters you’ve never heard of — she has competed in the IWF since 2010 and stood on the podium at Europeans three times, including an overall win in 2022 at 81 kilograms.
Dekha returns to the stage in Armenia, having declared a 255-kilogram entry Total; the highest preliminary Total in the class. However, the International Olympic Committee now recognizes the 81-kilogram class for the 2024 Games in Paris (it was not validated in 2020).
As such, the competition in that category is higher than ever — the gold, silver, and bronze-medal Totals at the 2023 Pan American Championships were 256, 254, and 253 kilograms. Dekha has the chops to maintain her hold on the category for now, but she’ll have to stick the landing in Yerevan if she wants to continue her momentum.
More Weightlifting Content
The 2023 European Weightlifting Championships will be packed to the brim with thrilling weightlifting moments. While you’re waiting for the action to kick off in earnest, you can check out some other content from BarBend:
- These Are the Most Fun Weightlifters to Watch
- Four Things You Can’t Learn From Your Coaching Certification
- Hang Lifts: What They Are and How to Use Them Properly
Featured Image: @weightlifting_house on Instagram
