When the 2023 International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Weightlifting Championships (WWC) kick off, the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, will be less than a year away. About ten months, in fact. In the sport of weightlifting, a lot can change in ten months — but not that much.
This year’s WWC is the first mandatory international competition for weightlifters taking aim at the Olympic stage in Paris. Any athlete who wants to step up onto the most prestigious platform in sport will have to first perform in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, over the course of two full weeks from Sep. 4 to Sep. 17.
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[Related: International Weightlifting Federation Announces New Open Gender Division]
The world’s strongest weightlifters have spent the last two years battling it out all over the world, but the 2023 WWC will be the first time fans of the sport see everyone, together, going for gold. Here’s all the info you need to catch the action at the 2023 IWF World Weightlifting Championships in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
2023 IWF World Weightlifting Championships | Session Dates & Times
The competition in Riyadh begins on the 4th of September 2023 and runs through the 17th. Below are the dates and times for all A-Group sessions — the events likely to host the most competitive lifting. Paris-recognized weight categories are bolded.
Note: All times are listed in Eastern Standard Time (EST).
Women’s A-Group
- 45KG: Sep. 4, 12:00 p.m.
- 49KG: Sep. 5, 9:30 a.m.
- 55KG: Sep. 6, 12:00 p.m.
- 59KG: Sep. 8, 12:00 p.m.
- 64KG: Sep. 10, 12:00 p.m.
- 71KG: Sep. 13, 12:00 p.m.
- 76KG: Sep. 14, 9:30 a.m.
- 81KG: Sep. 15, 9:30 a.m.
- 87KG: Sep. 15, 12:00 p.m.
- +87KG: Sep. 16, 9:30 a.m.
Men’s A-Group
- 55KG: Sep. 5, 12:00 p.m.
- 61KG: Sep. 6, 9:30 a.m.
- 67KG: Sep. 7, 12:00 p.m.
- 73KG: Sep. 9, 12:00 p.m.
- 81KG: Sep. 11, 9:30 a.m.
- 89KG: Sep. 11, 12:00 p.m.
- 96KG: Sep. 13, 9:30 a.m.
- 102KG: Sep. 14, 12:00 p.m.
- 109KG: Sep. 16, 12:00 p.m.
- +109KG: Sep. 17, 9:30 a.m.
2023 IWF World Weightlifting Championships | Live Stream
If you’re interested in catching all the action at the 2023 WWC from the comfort of your living room, laptop, or phone, you’re in luck. Weightlifting House has once again acquired streaming rights to cover the entire event. House founder Seb Ostrowicz tells BarBend over e-mail that their coverage in Riyadh is going to be the most ambitious and comprehensive yet for a weightlifting meet:
“[House] has expanded our media team this year … We will be filming new shots that the weightlifting community tends to miss: think reverse lifting angles, emotional close-ups etc. As always we’ll lean our weight into pushing the production team to film the sport how we, the weightlifters, want to view it.”
The production team will film the sport how we, the weightlifters, want to view it.
Ostrowicz also remarked that the live stream will contain information on the warm-up room, where competitors prepare to take the stage for their attempts in the snatch and clean & jerk. He and fellow host Max Aita will provide extensive color commentary on each session, including background information on the athletes and in-depth strategy explanations.
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The House live stream is currently available on their website. There are several purchasing options available that provide various levels of access to the event coverage. Early bird pricing begins at $4.99 for individual sessions and $21.99 for all sessions and a bonus media pack.
As of Aug. 17, 2023, pay-per-view streaming is available to the following countries:
- United States
- United Kingdom
- Canada
- Australia
- New Zealand
- South Africa
- Sweden
- Norway
- Denmark
- Finland
- France
Ostrowicz notes that additional countries will receive access as the WWC nears.
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Featured Image: Weightlifting House / @weightlifting_house
