2011 EMG Lignano, Italy
The Venue - 2011 EMG Lignano
EMG Report
At the first EMG, September 2011, Lignano, Italy, weightlifting was one of only 4 sports to achieve its objective in attracting a required number of competitors. The Games Director, Mr. Ernesto Zanetti, made a huge effort in the 2 years leading up to the Games, to gain an understanding of exactly how a Masters weightlifting event is organised and worked hard to ensure that weightlifting met its objectives and was well organised. He also invited 4 members from the European Masters Committee to help run the 4 days of the competition - Chairman Bill Barton, General Secretary Denise Offermann, Melvyn Barton, and Jozef Lazou. Furthermore he organised all the referees from the Italian Federation on the correct presumtion that there would not be enough referees amongst a lower number of competitors. We have Mr. Zanetti to thank for the success of the Games championship and for all his hard work for the weightlifting.
With three sessions a day over four days of lifting the championship ran smoothly and overall the standard of refereeing was good even though most of the referees were national standard. The standard of weightlifting was also on a par with a European Masters Championship which was to be expected as many familiar faces seen lifting in this Games also lift regularly in the European Masters Championships. Without checking each total for each lifter it would not be far wrong to suggest that almost every competitor achieved the European Championship Qualifying Standard. With 170 lifters including 18 women it is reasonable to say that this was a very successful weightlifting championship for the first official European Masters Games. More so when one takes into account the fact that it was organised only 6 weeks before the 2011 IWF World Masters in Limassol, Cyprus.
No anthems were allowed at the medals ceremonies and no flags either but there was some compensation as competitors were able to compete for three medals with the Games giving medals for the snatch, the jerk, and the total. The outside temperature during the 4 days of the competion was around 36 degrees but no one allowed this to affect them and there were some good performances.
It would be good if future European Masters Games can be organiser earlier in the year around the month of May, and also if the European Masters Committee have greater input and cooperation with the Games Organisation The results and some photographs can be found elsewhere on this website.
Bill Barton
European Masters Chairman
At the first EMG, September 2011, Lignano, Italy, weightlifting was one of only 4 sports to achieve its objective in attracting a required number of competitors. The Games Director, Mr. Ernesto Zanetti, made a huge effort in the 2 years leading up to the Games, to gain an understanding of exactly how a Masters weightlifting event is organised and worked hard to ensure that weightlifting met its objectives and was well organised. He also invited 4 members from the European Masters Committee to help run the 4 days of the competition - Chairman Bill Barton, General Secretary Denise Offermann, Melvyn Barton, and Jozef Lazou. Furthermore he organised all the referees from the Italian Federation on the correct presumtion that there would not be enough referees amongst a lower number of competitors. We have Mr. Zanetti to thank for the success of the Games championship and for all his hard work for the weightlifting.
With three sessions a day over four days of lifting the championship ran smoothly and overall the standard of refereeing was good even though most of the referees were national standard. The standard of weightlifting was also on a par with a European Masters Championship which was to be expected as many familiar faces seen lifting in this Games also lift regularly in the European Masters Championships. Without checking each total for each lifter it would not be far wrong to suggest that almost every competitor achieved the European Championship Qualifying Standard. With 170 lifters including 18 women it is reasonable to say that this was a very successful weightlifting championship for the first official European Masters Games. More so when one takes into account the fact that it was organised only 6 weeks before the 2011 IWF World Masters in Limassol, Cyprus.
No anthems were allowed at the medals ceremonies and no flags either but there was some compensation as competitors were able to compete for three medals with the Games giving medals for the snatch, the jerk, and the total. The outside temperature during the 4 days of the competion was around 36 degrees but no one allowed this to affect them and there were some good performances.
It would be good if future European Masters Games can be organiser earlier in the year around the month of May, and also if the European Masters Committee have greater input and cooperation with the Games Organisation The results and some photographs can be found elsewhere on this website.
Bill Barton
European Masters Chairman
2010 Ukraine Open Masters Cup
Lviv, Ukraine
(Report by Mark Beck)
More photos to follow.
The international Masters Cup was held over a long weekend in mid December in L’viv, Ukraine.
Over 90 competitors took part and the event was held in the imposing and impressive Training and Sports Headquarters of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence. The venue was large and spacious with a good warm-up area leading out onto a sports hall with tiered seating and a well-built platform in the middle of the room.
The standard of competition was high with several world masters champions in competition and a good entry across all age groups.
L’viv has its own small international airport a short distance from the city centre and entry was straightforward with no need for us to apply for a visa in advance. It was fantastic to be met at the airport by one of the competition organizers, world masters champion Gennadii Yurkevych, who took us straight to the venue where we were welcomed by all the organizers and watched the end of the first day’s lifting and the impressive Opening Ceremony with military band, dancers and speeches from weightlifters, politicians and religious leaders. However, after a mammoth 40 hour journey due to snow in Germany we were quite glad to get back to our comfortable hotel for some rest at the end of the day.
It has to be noted how well everything ran in L’viv. At a time when Britain and much of wealthy western Europe was grinding to a halt under a few inches of snow, taxis, trams, buses and planes all seemed to manage fine in much colder conditions in L’viv , much less fuss in a much poorer country.
The lifting started early for us the next day and despite the less than ideal preparations of cancelled flights to Germany and through-the-night journeys via Heathrow to Warsaw and then on to L’viv, World Champion Jo McManus took it all in her stride. She not only won her age group Gold medal but also walked off with the Best Female Lifter trophy with 5 out of 6 lifts and personal bests in competition of 45kg Snatch and 60kg Clean and Jerk.
The hospitality and friendliness of everyone at the event (spectators, officials, and other lifters and coaches) was remarkable and heart-warming. With varying amounts of English they all went out of their way to make us feel welcome and took time to shake hands and say hello. We felt like they were very glad to have us there and it was indeed a pleasure and privilege to lift in such a high standard of competition amongst such friendly people.
Given that the Gold and Silver at the World Championships in my age and weight category were both taken by Ukrainians I didn’t hold out much hope of a medal myself but in the event I managed a silver with 4 out of 6 lifts, Snatching 75kg and Clean and Jerking 101kg. A thoroughly enjoyable day’s lifting.
As the day was drawing to an end we were told that we would be required to attend the venue again the following morning for the final presentation as, much to our surprise, between us we had won 3rd place as the English Team in the team competition, behind the Ukrainians and Russians obviously! Fantastic news, though something of a problem getting the extra trophy into our hand-baggage.
After this presentation we were treated to some fantastic hospitality and generosity by Gennadii who spent several hours showing us round the beautiful city of L’viv. He took us on a walking tour of the historic old town himself (and some of the lovely coffee shops) and then joined us on a fascinating bus tour around the rest of the city, generously treating us to souvenirs of his town and proving once again what tremendous hosts the Ukrainians will be for the World Masters Championships of 2012.
Mark Beck
2nd January 2011
Over 90 competitors took part and the event was held in the imposing and impressive Training and Sports Headquarters of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence. The venue was large and spacious with a good warm-up area leading out onto a sports hall with tiered seating and a well-built platform in the middle of the room.
The standard of competition was high with several world masters champions in competition and a good entry across all age groups.
L’viv has its own small international airport a short distance from the city centre and entry was straightforward with no need for us to apply for a visa in advance. It was fantastic to be met at the airport by one of the competition organizers, world masters champion Gennadii Yurkevych, who took us straight to the venue where we were welcomed by all the organizers and watched the end of the first day’s lifting and the impressive Opening Ceremony with military band, dancers and speeches from weightlifters, politicians and religious leaders. However, after a mammoth 40 hour journey due to snow in Germany we were quite glad to get back to our comfortable hotel for some rest at the end of the day.
It has to be noted how well everything ran in L’viv. At a time when Britain and much of wealthy western Europe was grinding to a halt under a few inches of snow, taxis, trams, buses and planes all seemed to manage fine in much colder conditions in L’viv , much less fuss in a much poorer country.
The lifting started early for us the next day and despite the less than ideal preparations of cancelled flights to Germany and through-the-night journeys via Heathrow to Warsaw and then on to L’viv, World Champion Jo McManus took it all in her stride. She not only won her age group Gold medal but also walked off with the Best Female Lifter trophy with 5 out of 6 lifts and personal bests in competition of 45kg Snatch and 60kg Clean and Jerk.
The hospitality and friendliness of everyone at the event (spectators, officials, and other lifters and coaches) was remarkable and heart-warming. With varying amounts of English they all went out of their way to make us feel welcome and took time to shake hands and say hello. We felt like they were very glad to have us there and it was indeed a pleasure and privilege to lift in such a high standard of competition amongst such friendly people.
Given that the Gold and Silver at the World Championships in my age and weight category were both taken by Ukrainians I didn’t hold out much hope of a medal myself but in the event I managed a silver with 4 out of 6 lifts, Snatching 75kg and Clean and Jerking 101kg. A thoroughly enjoyable day’s lifting.
As the day was drawing to an end we were told that we would be required to attend the venue again the following morning for the final presentation as, much to our surprise, between us we had won 3rd place as the English Team in the team competition, behind the Ukrainians and Russians obviously! Fantastic news, though something of a problem getting the extra trophy into our hand-baggage.
After this presentation we were treated to some fantastic hospitality and generosity by Gennadii who spent several hours showing us round the beautiful city of L’viv. He took us on a walking tour of the historic old town himself (and some of the lovely coffee shops) and then joined us on a fascinating bus tour around the rest of the city, generously treating us to souvenirs of his town and proving once again what tremendous hosts the Ukrainians will be for the World Masters Championships of 2012.
Mark Beck
2nd January 2011
Vision - the Masters Now and the Future
Masters weightlifting maintains a strong growth and this is evident as one observes the increase in numbers competing in age groups M35 and W35.
It is essential to create a sporting and a social environment where Masters can compete and renew and enjoy their friendships during the period of the championship.
It is also essential to enable everyone to compete in a drug free environment and at the same time recognise that everyone can development illnesses that require prescribed medicines. Attention is being paid to this now and will continue to be given attention in the future.
To be able to achieve all of this and make the vision clear, there must be rules. At 2010 IWF Masters Congress in Ciechanow, Poland, a new rulebook was presented to Congress and accepted unanimously. Embedded in this rulebook are the very clear principles for a clear vision for Masters weightlifting - no racism, no religion, no politics, and no sexism.
Friendship is the key word.
It is essential to create a sporting and a social environment where Masters can compete and renew and enjoy their friendships during the period of the championship.
It is also essential to enable everyone to compete in a drug free environment and at the same time recognise that everyone can development illnesses that require prescribed medicines. Attention is being paid to this now and will continue to be given attention in the future.
To be able to achieve all of this and make the vision clear, there must be rules. At 2010 IWF Masters Congress in Ciechanow, Poland, a new rulebook was presented to Congress and accepted unanimously. Embedded in this rulebook are the very clear principles for a clear vision for Masters weightlifting - no racism, no religion, no politics, and no sexism.
Friendship is the key word.
2010 IWF Masters Weightlifting Championship, Ciechanow, Poland. 18th - 25th Sept.
From the start to the finish and in every way possible, this was a very successful championship with great cooperation between the Polish Masters Organising Committee led by Jerzy Zalejko, and the IWF Masters Weightlifting Committee working under stand-in Chairman Jan Hinrichsen.
From the start to the end the entire championship was filmed and put out live on to the internet for the world to see. Within a short time competitors were receiving text messages from home to say that they had been seen on the internet broadcast and with such a great championship it has to be wonderful publicity for Masters weightlifting.
All the sessions ran virtually to the timetable laid down in the Competition Schedule and on the few occasions a session was running late, the time was usually made up. This is not difficult to do if a championship has good and fluent Speakers and loaders who can do their job quickly and efficiently. The lifters also fulfill their part and get to the platform in good time. In the Women's weightlifting 23 World Masters Records were set and in the Men's, 10 World Masters Records. In the final session a new men's World Record snatch of 172 kg by the Russian lifter, Vladimir Sushchak at 105+ and M35, was the heaviest snatch lifted in the history of Masters weightlifting.
Well done and thank you to the 2010 Ciechanow Organising Committee.
From the start to the end the entire championship was filmed and put out live on to the internet for the world to see. Within a short time competitors were receiving text messages from home to say that they had been seen on the internet broadcast and with such a great championship it has to be wonderful publicity for Masters weightlifting.
All the sessions ran virtually to the timetable laid down in the Competition Schedule and on the few occasions a session was running late, the time was usually made up. This is not difficult to do if a championship has good and fluent Speakers and loaders who can do their job quickly and efficiently. The lifters also fulfill their part and get to the platform in good time. In the Women's weightlifting 23 World Masters Records were set and in the Men's, 10 World Masters Records. In the final session a new men's World Record snatch of 172 kg by the Russian lifter, Vladimir Sushchak at 105+ and M35, was the heaviest snatch lifted in the history of Masters weightlifting.
Well done and thank you to the 2010 Ciechanow Organising Committee.
