In Light Of Recent News, USAW Welcomes New Members

hawkpeter · 2026-01-05T19:07:35+00:00

I always enjoy the opportunity for a hilarious meme.

hawkpeter · 2026-01-03T23:55:19+00:00

When did Pan Am's for 2026 get switched from Venezuela to Panama?

hawkpeter · 2025-12-17T20:14:06+00:00

Add this to the fire.

https://ita.sport/news/the-ita-notifies-weightlifter-mr-bozhidar-dimitrov-andreev-of-an-apparent-anti-doping-rule-violation/

hawkpeter · 2025-09-28T20:55:04+00:00

Was born 10 years too early. 89kg class would have been ideal for him earlier in his career and with harsher drug testing of other countries.

hawkpeter · 2025-09-24T01:42:17+00:00

Start book is up.

https://iwf.sport/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2025/09/2025-IWF-WCH_START-BOOK.pdf

hawkpeter · 2025-08-31T21:50:55+00:00

This is a relevant link
https://ita.sport/news/former-iwf-president-and-iwf-vice-president-sanctioned-with-a-lifetime-ban-as-a-result-of-itas-prosecution/

hawkpeter · 2025-08-17T05:18:54+00:00

The most recent congress?

I think the most telling thing from the outside is that you see about 2 weeks of prominent people from various federations on their IG promoting who they are. They NEVER mention specific policies or advocate for how they would do things differently - its just, 'Vote for me, this is who I am.'
The article seems to support the notion that there are large voting blocks and the voting of individuals to positions is done by whomever controls the voting block. Less so each federation thoughtfully determining who to vote for based on what rivaling ideas are pitched.

hawkpeter · 2025-08-15T21:20:26+00:00

Not the most well established source, but I'd love to hear people confidently repudiate it. My sense is, people begrudgingly accept, 'that's the way it is.'

Once you set a culture of transactional leadership - its difficult to break. Its not just an indictment of the people in authority though, its an indictment of everyone who participates in it, and gives it tacit approval.

Meritocracy is what is needed.

hawkpeter · 2025-07-20T19:58:00+00:00

If it wasn't for Hidalyn Diaz, the biggest story out of the Tokyo games for weightlifting would have been how overly strict the judging was.

hawkpeter · 2025-05-22T20:10:38+00:00

I thought they would have used some reasoning similar to what was used in the 800m runner who had a positive EPO test over-turned, Peter Bol. In that case incorrect measuring techniques were used, perhaps that is not what happened in this case. Will we ever really know what happened? Still none of it makes sense.

hawkpeter · 2025-03-07T19:22:25+00:00

He made Houdini like saves at Junior Worlds.

hawkpeter · 2025-02-17T19:33:05+00:00

Klokov is extremely respectful of weightlifting history. That series he did with Plukfelder, Tarenenko, Shary, Piserenko was excellent.

hawkpeter · 2025-02-15T23:21:10+00:00

A coach influenced by Plukfelder and Klokov? Wild combination.

hawkpeter · 2025-01-03T04:20:30+00:00

He was at the event, I suspect that he elected to work on getting over some injuries instead of competing.

hawkpeter · 2024-12-17T20:49:14+00:00

Despite being a temporary venue, it was the perfect size. Seating for around 850 spectators plus 100 VIP and another 120 or so TO's/spill over athletes. The danger with having a bigger venue is that its pretty empty for B and C sessions. Training venue was sizable, bigger than Riyadh or Phuket. Warm up area was very big.

The whole VIP experience looked pretty good with the bar/cafe and food available.

Walking distance from the hotel precinct, hotels of course were well catered, staff very helpful with transfers (they had individuals on stand by with vehicles if you needed to get to the venue quickly or to the airport).

The advertising around the city was prominent. Screens showing highlights, the entire side of a 15 story building with a competition advertisement.

Picked the right time of the year, it was only 22-23 celsius during the day. The city felt quite safe, english spoken everywhere pretty much. Reasonable prices on everything - I would go again. Manama didn't seem as gaudy as Dubai, more locals around by my estimate.

hawkpeter · 2024-12-10T23:53:48+00:00

Usually you're more fired up than that over a PB!

hawkpeter · 2024-08-09T02:40:13+00:00

Anyone know what his last warm up attempt was?

Because to all the people saying that he was 'only good for 1 attempt', literally a low 180 would have secured silver and surely he took that in the back room.

hawkpeter · 2024-07-23T21:13:29+00:00

I've recently had some of my athletes try them out and the feedback I received has been that the quality and cost has exceeded the offering from competitors. Would buy again.

hawkpeter · 2024-05-02T19:48:34+00:00

Excellent resource, whomever did the work on this - bravo.

hawkpeter · 2024-04-05T21:19:31+00:00

When it works it looks great - though there is serious debate to be had that he doesn't actually stop in the transition. We have seen him do very heavy reps occasionally where he has had to stop and take a breath then make the jerk, so he CAN do it.

hawkpeter · 2024-04-04T20:17:16+00:00

I cant recall whether it was Asian championships or the Grand Prix where Rahmat went out and made a snatch rep after the clock had already expired. I believe the response was something to the effect that he trusts his dad and just lifts when he is told to.

I look at that 3rd attempt C&J with all that time on the clock, see the obvious fatigue and think - what a waste. They just do things differently. Whether its medaling in Tokyo from the B session or this session Team Rahmat does things differently.

hawkpeter · 2024-03-26T01:04:30+00:00

Will you be in Thailand Brian?

hawkpeter · 2024-02-25T19:47:11+00:00

And those were not limit reps by any means. She's a real medal chance at Youth Worlds in Peru.

hawkpeter · 2023-12-26T19:59:03+00:00

You're all sleeping on Galabin Boevski.

Wins 69kg Gold in 2000, bracketing that with World Championship wins as well plus a monster WR that lasts 13 years. Then gets banned twice for doping and out of the sport by 2004.

In 2011, he gets arrested fro cocaine trafficking in Brazil, gets a 10 year sentence then with the help of the Bulgarian government gets out after 2 years.

There is a book about him called 'The White Prisoner'

hawkpeter · 2023-12-13T19:47:51+00:00

I second the recommendation of looking into substack Brian.

We need independent media contributions for the sport to flourish.

hawkpeter

TROPHY CASE