USA makes bid to host IWF Electoral Congress

Earlier this month the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) sought applications to host their twice-delayed Electoral Congress in June. This week the United States has submitted their letter of intent to host.

In a letter to the IWF, signed by Phil Andrews the CEO of USA Weightlifting, it states “The USA welcomes the opportunity to put forward candidacy to host the 2022 IWF Electoral Congress, and puts forward the city of Las Vegas, Nevada for your consideration.”

The Electoral Congress was originally scheduled for March 26-27, 2021 but was pushed to December 20-21, 2021. Those elections were called off by the IWF Executive Board due to procedural issue.

At an IWF Congress in December 2021 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, the new Electoral Congress dates of June 25-26, 2022 were approved, though a place was not given.

USA Weightlifting, in partnership with UFC International Fight Week, will be hosting a series of events during that week in June in Las Vegas.

The IWF would be no stranger to Las Vegas as the IWF Congress was hosted there in 2019. The U.S. also hosted the Congress in 2015 and 2017.

Member federations have until March 20 to submit their letters of intent to host. A panel will then review the applications and make their decision.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach admonished the IWF for their election delays, and the sport’s status with the IOC has been on thin ice for years due to various reasons. Weightlifting is currently not included in the LA28 Olympic program. They are included for Paris 2024, but Bach has warned the IWF their inclusion is not a certainty.