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THE EUROPEAN MASTERS
(A personal history of three decades)
(A personal history of three decades)
INTRODUCTION
Note: Although present at all the championships I was not privy to first-hand knowledge of how decisions were made nor who was making them but as you will read, in 1997 I was given the opportunity to be included in all official aspects of European Masters weightlifting and I believe that what I state in this document is factual or close enough to be acceptable.
I believe that the formation and influence of a new World Masters Committee being elected at a Congress at the World Masters Games, Aalborg, Denmark, was the impetus for the organisation of Masters weightlifting in Europe. It all started with very few people and quite possible they met together at the 1990 World Masters Championship in Mattersburg, Austria, to discuss the future of Masters weightlifting in Europe and to organise future European Masters Championship.
A BRIEF HISTORY
The first decade
Following the 1990 World Masters in Mattersburg it came as no surprise when a 1991 European Masters was organised in Austria in the lovely city of Salzburg. It soon became apparent that the European Masters weightlifting was in the hands of two very respected people, taking on all the responsibilities and still competing to a very high standard as Masters. The two people were Walter Legal and Hubert Huber, Chairman and General Secretary respectively and both from Austria.
After many discussions at the World Masters Congress the 1992 venue was agreed as Oxford, UK, but for the first and only time in the history of the Masters it was agreed that the championship would be a dual event with the World and European Masters run in the one event. Naturally individual medals were given for each championship. My opinion is that it was a success, as well as competing I took on the job as “recorder”, listing the lifters successes and failures in an old desktop computer, the likes of which I had never seen before, nor since. In the latter part of the week the Speaker had to leave the competition and I spent the last few days as “Speaker”.
The next few years showed that Masters weightlifting in Europe was gathering momentum and more nations showing keen interest in organising and competing. The 1993 championship was in Sokolov, Czech Republic, 1994 Germany, 1995 Poland , 1996 Czech Republic again, and 1997 back to Austria at Schrems which is on the Czech border. It was also my start in working for European Masters weightlifting because I was asked to take on the position of Vice Chairman in the European Masters Committee (EMC). Elz, Germany, 1998 was followed by 1999 Kazincbarcika, Hungary, and this proved to be a memorable period in my life.
Towards the end of 1998 the European Masters Committee (EMC) Chairman Walter Legal was reported as being terminally ill with a tumour. The General Secretary Hubert Huber also wanted to step down and at a meeting in Kazincbarcika I was asked to take the position of Chairman and form a new committee.
I placed great value on the support of Hubert Huber and Walter Legal (both Austrian) and the confidence they showed in wanting me to take over as Chairman and put a new committee together. They were the founders of European Masters Weightlifting, the basis on which it has become so popular today. They were two special individuals, may they never be forgotten.
The new EMC was Chairman Bill Barton (GBR), Treasurer Kurt Rosenberger (GER), Vice Chairmen Anton Huber (AUT) and Jan Hinrichsen (SWE) , and 2 or 3 years later another Vice Chairman was added to the Committee, Nikolaos Galiatsatos (GRE). My ideal for the future was to improve championships for the better good of the Masters to make all lifters aware that they were in fact competing in an international championship, a once-a-year experience that they would not forget. It was a good committee but in the next decade it would change with the loss of one member and the addition of another.
Best Championship of the decade: 1999 Kazincbarcika, Hungary
Worst Championship of the decade: 1993 Sokolov, Czech. Rep. (not because of the organisation but the town)
The second decade and a new EMC
As the EMC was entirely by appointment It was important that all EMC members must be appointed by Congress therefore at the 2000 European Masters Championship was held the very first European Masters Congress of Nations which was also the very first Electoral Congress. It also laid the foundation for an Electoral Congress to be held every four years.
With a new Chairman and a new European Masters Committee (EMC) it was apparent that there was much work to be done, and immediately. It very quickly became clear that only one person was capable of the necessary work to ensure the committee was run correctly and all the right stepping stones needed to be laid whilst, at the same time, keeping the other members informed of what was being done.
At the first championship of the new Millennium 2000 Kefalonia, Greece, the Congress of Nations voted unanimously to keep the new committee which had been appointed in 1999. The problems started before the championship when a second group of Masters took the championship from the original Masters Chairman who had won the bid to be organiser at the 1999 Congress. If the committee had been informed of what was happening the change of organiser would not have taken place. Chaos reigned throughout the championship but the committee worked well together to calm matters down and make a good championship.
The 2001 championship in Teplice, Czech Rep., was a very good championship, the venue and organisation good, and a good atmosphere all the days of this event. Unfortunately the 2001 Stockholm championship was a disaster with only 2 persons on the organising committee and volunteers who were all offenders doing community service; nothing wrong with that except when they had completed their hours for the day they left, which left our small EMC doing the work of many. The EMC were informed on the eve of the last day that there would be no closing banquet because the restaurant had cancelled and only informed the championship organiser that day.
All the other championships of this decade were good, well organised in every respect, good venues, good equipment, and good for competitors with good socialising arrangements. Most having significant memories for me, in different ways.
The committee would continue into the new decade with the following people.
Chairman Bill Barton, General Secretary Denise Offermann*, Treasurer Kurt Rosenberger, Vice Chairmen Anton Huber, Michel Verecke (BEL), and Jan Hinrichsen, and for records and Anti-Doping - Jozef Lazou (BEL).
Best Championship of the decade – 2003 Eysines and 2006 Heinsheim. Difficult to separate.
Most disappointing Championship – 2001 Stockholm, in every way possible.
Note: The doping control for 2006 Heinsheim was done by the Cologne laboratory and the results showed 6 Adverse Analytical Findings and the 6 athletes concerned were eventually suspended.
The IWF Masters Chairman was invited as a guest to this championship and to enjoy the friendship of the European Masters and the local cuisine. In the previous 3 or 4 years our vision of the Masters was completely opposite and on my part, the invitation was also an effort to get the relationship to work.
The Chairman had other ideas when later in the year at the IWF World Masters in Eysines, France, I was asked to resign as IWF Masters General Secretary and EMC Chairman, obviously I refused. The same day the IWFM Chairman sent 2 of the EMC Vice Chairmen to agree to resign my positions, my reply was brief and to the point, “you are either with me or against me”. Both are longer members of a Masters committee.
The third decade.
The third decade of European Masters Championships couldn’t have started better because once again Martina Dosquet and her quite remarkable organising committee, supported by the entire village, had undertaken a second European Masters. An opportunity here to say thank you to Martina, her husband Ralf, and so many helpers, for another top championship.
For 2012 the championship was Lankaran, a coastal town by the Caspian Sea in Azerbaijan and with a hotel next to the venue. For various reasons the total entry was somewhat disappointing but no complaints about the championship and hospitality which were very good.
The least said about 2013 Kusadasi, Turkey, it is obvious the organiser bid alone to win the championship in the hope of making himself some money. The venue was changed on the eve of the committee travelling and was changed back to the original on our arrival and was staged in a new building where completion work was still being done up until the championship started, total chaos for the EMC and travelling athletes. This was only the second championship where we saw the organiser, he has not been seen since. A special mention for Mehmet Uyanik, a travel agent who sponsored the championship and without whom there would have been no championship. He did everything possible to comply with EMC requests regardless of costs to his company, thank you Mehmet.
A return back to Kazincbarcika for 2014 and 15 years after our first visit when I first became European Masters Chairman. Always good to see and be with friends who have been constant at championships every year. No doubts or fears that this championship would be like the previous year, good hosts, good venue, and another good championship.
Modesty forbids me saying too much about 2015 Bangor University, North Wales, the coast on one side and Snowdonia National Park on the other, and organised by me! The Organising Committee were all university staff with little knowledge of weightlifting but meetings were regular, they were keen, and they worked so hard; the venue too, was set up to perfection, I could not have asked for more. It would be nice to be able to say I organised the best championship ever but at least, and in my opinion, it was a very successful championship.
Only 4 years passed and the championship returned to Azerbaijan, for 2016 the city of Nakhchivan, and a different hotel but big enough to accommodate many of the lifters which made for a good atmosphere at breakfasts and dinners. Shuttlebus for those who wanted to use it, the venue was only 2 km approx. distance from the hotels, the weather was good, and it was nice to walk to the venue passing a big park with flowers blooming, and many polite and pleasant people around. A good championship again.
Much could be said about 2017 Halmstad, Sweden, because it was organised by Johan Erling in collaboration with Eleiko and in a brand-new purpose-built weightlifting venue. Wonderful stage and warm up facilities, all new Eleiko equipment, a restaurant in the venue, and visits into the factory next door where all the equipment is being made. Thank you Eleiko, and Johan, for a good and fascinating championship in the home of Eleiko.
The 2018 championship Budapest, Hungary, the venue was one of their many universities, all the facilities were good and it was a good championship, it was visited by the IWF President Tamas Ajan. The organiser fell down in several other ways, poor arrangements of airport transfers for some EMC members, recommendations of poor hotels for many athletes, poor selection of hotel venue for the closing banquet. The latter resulted in the EMC having to make all the arrangements suitable to be able to invite athletes.
Rovaniemi in 2019 was the opposite because the Masters Chairman Jorma Pallari laid all the groundwork in advance, all the necessary arrangements were perfect and he was supported by the Finland Federation. All the facilities were good; the stage, the warm up area, training facilities, and catering were in the venue, as was a lot of accommodation. A good championship in every respect, and all credit to Jorma Pallari.
The end of the decade was decided by a Pandemic, a ‘flu’ virus given the name Covid-19, and one which brought a stop to all live sport.
As you might expect the EMC do not sit back and wait for things to happen. By the end of 2020 an online virtual European Masters Championship opened for registrations. The number of entries was low, around 150, but the championship went ahead with lifters submitting videos of their 6 lifts and TO’s judging the videos independently and recording their decisions into the system on a website. Results were produced, medals posted to the first 3 in each bodyweight category withing age groups.
It would be the next decade before the Masters would be able to stage a live event.
Best Championships of the decade – 2019 Rovaniemi, Finland and 2017 Halmstad, Sweden for Eleiko
Most disappointing – 2013 Kusadasi, Turkey
EMC PERSONNEL
It is impossible to put a value on people who volunteer their services, time, and their money to be involved in Masters weightlifting. To be involved and work with EMC means a commitment to travel to all the championships to run the weightlifting and make a good championship for all the competitors.
As the Chairman I can only say I always gave my best and I thank all the many competitors over many years, and National Masters Chairmen for their respect and support. Without good people working with me on The European Masters Committee it would have been impossible and therefore they deserve a mention.
The Treasurer, Kurt Rosenberger from Wuppertal, Germany, was my right hand for many years, he was loyal for all the time he was with me and a huge support in 2006 when the IWFM Chairman attempted to force my resignation. We first met at the 1992 World and European Masters Championship in Oxford, England, and our friendship grew stronger with the passing years. Kurt competed in the Masters until he was nearing 90 years of age, he was injured when a car mounted the pavement and knocked him off his feet close to his home. My only difficult moment came when I had to ask him to step down as Treasurer because this was a man who served the Masters as an official from 1992 until 2015, 23 years.
General Secretary Denise Offermann (Cyprus) who I first met in 2004 and another fiercely loyal person who stood firmly behind me in 2006 when we had only known each for 2 years. She has become a good friend and is a tremendous and tireless worker for Masters weightlifting and as well as her official positions she runs the EMC and IWFMC Secretariats. Another 5 or 6 pages could be added to talk about Denise but I will close by saying everyone knows her and she is very popular.
The two Belgium friends Michel Verecke and Jozef Lazou, again I must mention loyalty and trust also; I first met them at the 1991 World Masters in Leimen-St.Ilgen, Germany, in 1991, and they were officially appointed by Congress in 2008. The sad news is that Michel had to step down after the 2018 IWF World Masters in Barcelona due to a sight problem leaving him with partial vision. The good news is that Jozef Lazou is still working with the committee as records Vice Chairman and Doping-Control assistant at championships.
Vice Chairman Anton Huber from Austria worked with the committee from my start in 1999 until his last championship in 2013, he later died after a severe stroke. It’s not my intention to use the word “loyalty” lightly but it must also be applied to Anton. He was also a true “gentleman”, polite to the extreme and very good manners. Anton was a good worker for the EMC and very popular.
Vice Chairman Jan Hinrichsen (SWE) worked with the EMC from 1999 until 2015, worked hard at championships but that was all “he brought to the table”, a sheep following the leader and loyalty not on the top of his list.
Vice Chairman Nikolaos Galiatsatos (GRE) worked with the committee from 2002 until 2007 when he was dismissed. Loyalty appeared to be his way to gain something to the extent he forgot he was a European; overall very disappointing.
Johan Erling was not a member of the EMC during those three decades but it would be wrong to think of competing this history without his inclusion. Johan and I met earlier but it was in Antalya, Turkey, at the start of the Millennium ,that we became friends. He asked if the Masters would like to have their own competition computer software to run championships, it was a great initiative but the question was how to “introduce” this when most organisers had their own software. I asked him about the Masters Age/Bodyweight formula which he looked into and I later discovered he had the software updated with the formula. He was present in 2007 Limassol and 2008 Bohumin , probably after an approach by the organisers and after that he was present at all the championships with the committee. Anyone and everyone at European Masters Championships must have seen Johan at the computer all day and every day at championships and producing all the results. He is a tireless worker for the Masters, I call him “Mr. Perpetual Motion”, he works the hardest at all championships. A good friend and a friendship of over 20 years.
Concluding comments
These are my memories, thoughts, and understandings of European Masters weightlifting events and in an attempt to cover championships. I was specifically asked to do this, there is so much more that it would be possible to write a book but I think there are not enough people interested enough to want to sit down and read a book. My attempt has been to make it factual and as brief as possible in the hope that Masters would pass on the fact that this information is on the website. When I state there is so much more, I mean that not everything has been as simple as I have explained in this document. As stated, from the start I wanted to improve the quality of the championships in every way possible for the athletes. With the help of many good people, especially those on the EMC, I think it was achieved although championships do vary from one year to the next.
There have been too many good things to mention and remember them in detail but there have also been bad things which I will never forget. A good example was 2013 Kusadasi, Turkey, when the behaviour and actions of the lone organiser were deplorable. At the same championship we met the sponsor, a travel agent by the name of Mehmet Vyanik, who did everything asked of him including spending a lot of his company revenue to ensure the championship was good. Mehmet contacted me by email in 2021 to ask me how I was, I think that’s just one example of the good things.
The history hopefully reflects a history and the EMC is into the 4th decade with a new Chairman, Harold Pijcke, who I am sure will bring new thoughts and ideas to manage all the new changes that often present problems. He has my complete trust and support; he will be a good EMC Chairman as he grows into the job. We first met in 2015 Bangor and in 2016 in Heinsheim we talked every day about the Masters and my work, and by 2019 I felt as if I had known him far longer. He impressed me so much I actually asked him to put his name forward to the next Congress to take over the position of EMC Chairman.
This document states only my thoughts, memories, and my opinions.
Bill Barton
European Masters Chairman 1999-2021 (Appointed in Kazincbarcika, Hungary, 1999.)
Note: Although present at all the championships I was not privy to first-hand knowledge of how decisions were made nor who was making them but as you will read, in 1997 I was given the opportunity to be included in all official aspects of European Masters weightlifting and I believe that what I state in this document is factual or close enough to be acceptable.
I believe that the formation and influence of a new World Masters Committee being elected at a Congress at the World Masters Games, Aalborg, Denmark, was the impetus for the organisation of Masters weightlifting in Europe. It all started with very few people and quite possible they met together at the 1990 World Masters Championship in Mattersburg, Austria, to discuss the future of Masters weightlifting in Europe and to organise future European Masters Championship.
A BRIEF HISTORY
The first decade
Following the 1990 World Masters in Mattersburg it came as no surprise when a 1991 European Masters was organised in Austria in the lovely city of Salzburg. It soon became apparent that the European Masters weightlifting was in the hands of two very respected people, taking on all the responsibilities and still competing to a very high standard as Masters. The two people were Walter Legal and Hubert Huber, Chairman and General Secretary respectively and both from Austria.
After many discussions at the World Masters Congress the 1992 venue was agreed as Oxford, UK, but for the first and only time in the history of the Masters it was agreed that the championship would be a dual event with the World and European Masters run in the one event. Naturally individual medals were given for each championship. My opinion is that it was a success, as well as competing I took on the job as “recorder”, listing the lifters successes and failures in an old desktop computer, the likes of which I had never seen before, nor since. In the latter part of the week the Speaker had to leave the competition and I spent the last few days as “Speaker”.
The next few years showed that Masters weightlifting in Europe was gathering momentum and more nations showing keen interest in organising and competing. The 1993 championship was in Sokolov, Czech Republic, 1994 Germany, 1995 Poland , 1996 Czech Republic again, and 1997 back to Austria at Schrems which is on the Czech border. It was also my start in working for European Masters weightlifting because I was asked to take on the position of Vice Chairman in the European Masters Committee (EMC). Elz, Germany, 1998 was followed by 1999 Kazincbarcika, Hungary, and this proved to be a memorable period in my life.
Towards the end of 1998 the European Masters Committee (EMC) Chairman Walter Legal was reported as being terminally ill with a tumour. The General Secretary Hubert Huber also wanted to step down and at a meeting in Kazincbarcika I was asked to take the position of Chairman and form a new committee.
I placed great value on the support of Hubert Huber and Walter Legal (both Austrian) and the confidence they showed in wanting me to take over as Chairman and put a new committee together. They were the founders of European Masters Weightlifting, the basis on which it has become so popular today. They were two special individuals, may they never be forgotten.
The new EMC was Chairman Bill Barton (GBR), Treasurer Kurt Rosenberger (GER), Vice Chairmen Anton Huber (AUT) and Jan Hinrichsen (SWE) , and 2 or 3 years later another Vice Chairman was added to the Committee, Nikolaos Galiatsatos (GRE). My ideal for the future was to improve championships for the better good of the Masters to make all lifters aware that they were in fact competing in an international championship, a once-a-year experience that they would not forget. It was a good committee but in the next decade it would change with the loss of one member and the addition of another.
Best Championship of the decade: 1999 Kazincbarcika, Hungary
Worst Championship of the decade: 1993 Sokolov, Czech. Rep. (not because of the organisation but the town)
The second decade and a new EMC
As the EMC was entirely by appointment It was important that all EMC members must be appointed by Congress therefore at the 2000 European Masters Championship was held the very first European Masters Congress of Nations which was also the very first Electoral Congress. It also laid the foundation for an Electoral Congress to be held every four years.
With a new Chairman and a new European Masters Committee (EMC) it was apparent that there was much work to be done, and immediately. It very quickly became clear that only one person was capable of the necessary work to ensure the committee was run correctly and all the right stepping stones needed to be laid whilst, at the same time, keeping the other members informed of what was being done.
- Surprised at being given one sheet of paper as “the Hall of Fame” list and with only approximately 30 names the first task was to acquire all the results for the championships from 1991 to 2000 to extract all the medal winners. This is now the basis on which today’s Hall of Fame exists on the EMC website.
- Establishment with National Masters Chairs was a necessity and very soon a data base was created with their names, addresses, and telephone numbers and gradually the telephone numbers were replaced by email.
- All doping control requirements were set up and with the emergence of WADA the decision was made to use only WADA approved labs and official NADA DCO’s (Doping-Control Officers). A file of athletes tested was also created and highlighting where an athlete gave an AAF (Adverse Analytical Finding) and more specifically when the test was verified as positive.
At the first championship of the new Millennium 2000 Kefalonia, Greece, the Congress of Nations voted unanimously to keep the new committee which had been appointed in 1999. The problems started before the championship when a second group of Masters took the championship from the original Masters Chairman who had won the bid to be organiser at the 1999 Congress. If the committee had been informed of what was happening the change of organiser would not have taken place. Chaos reigned throughout the championship but the committee worked well together to calm matters down and make a good championship.
The 2001 championship in Teplice, Czech Rep., was a very good championship, the venue and organisation good, and a good atmosphere all the days of this event. Unfortunately the 2001 Stockholm championship was a disaster with only 2 persons on the organising committee and volunteers who were all offenders doing community service; nothing wrong with that except when they had completed their hours for the day they left, which left our small EMC doing the work of many. The EMC were informed on the eve of the last day that there would be no closing banquet because the restaurant had cancelled and only informed the championship organiser that day.
All the other championships of this decade were good, well organised in every respect, good venues, good equipment, and good for competitors with good socialising arrangements. Most having significant memories for me, in different ways.
- 2003 Eysines – in memory of my good friend Jean-Pierre Segonzac
- 2004 Kolobrzeg – my first meeting with Denise Offermann and from meeting was established an extremely strong friendship which has grown from our many years working together.
- 2005 Dolny Kubin – doping controls would be tested by a lab in Austria owed money by Slovakian sport they wanted payment in advance. All was good, they accepted my credit card.
- 2006 Heinsheim – the first championship where the lead organiser was a woman, Martina Dosquet, a championship that had everything, including wonderful social evenings for all the competitors, with food, drinks, music, and dancing.
- 2007 Limassol – the second championship with a woman involved in the organisation, Denise Offermann, and only 3 years after competing in Kolbrzeg. Denise was the Competition Secretary and on several occasions she had to confront one of the EMC Vice Chairman because of his insulting behaviour and for which, after being warned, he was dismissed from the EMC by unanimous decision.
- 2008 Bohumin – well organised, excellent hospitality, but the venue was usually an ice rink and it was cold every day and all day.
- 2009 Tolyatti – on arrival there was no competition venue, after a tour of Tolyatti and sight of 3 possible (but unusable) venues we were taken to a final venue in the middle of the night, the championship started the following day, we were in a sanatorium.
- 2010 Linz – a big entry, very good organisation, good equipment, good hospitality provided for the EMC. Let down by the venue which was a hall used for the sport of climbing, every time a heavy weight was dropped on the platform chalk came down from above in a white cloud. The EMC had agreed to the use of this venue and no one could have foreseen the chalk dust.
The committee would continue into the new decade with the following people.
Chairman Bill Barton, General Secretary Denise Offermann*, Treasurer Kurt Rosenberger, Vice Chairmen Anton Huber, Michel Verecke (BEL), and Jan Hinrichsen, and for records and Anti-Doping - Jozef Lazou (BEL).
Best Championship of the decade – 2003 Eysines and 2006 Heinsheim. Difficult to separate.
Most disappointing Championship – 2001 Stockholm, in every way possible.
Note: The doping control for 2006 Heinsheim was done by the Cologne laboratory and the results showed 6 Adverse Analytical Findings and the 6 athletes concerned were eventually suspended.
The IWF Masters Chairman was invited as a guest to this championship and to enjoy the friendship of the European Masters and the local cuisine. In the previous 3 or 4 years our vision of the Masters was completely opposite and on my part, the invitation was also an effort to get the relationship to work.
The Chairman had other ideas when later in the year at the IWF World Masters in Eysines, France, I was asked to resign as IWF Masters General Secretary and EMC Chairman, obviously I refused. The same day the IWFM Chairman sent 2 of the EMC Vice Chairmen to agree to resign my positions, my reply was brief and to the point, “you are either with me or against me”. Both are longer members of a Masters committee.
The third decade.
The third decade of European Masters Championships couldn’t have started better because once again Martina Dosquet and her quite remarkable organising committee, supported by the entire village, had undertaken a second European Masters. An opportunity here to say thank you to Martina, her husband Ralf, and so many helpers, for another top championship.
For 2012 the championship was Lankaran, a coastal town by the Caspian Sea in Azerbaijan and with a hotel next to the venue. For various reasons the total entry was somewhat disappointing but no complaints about the championship and hospitality which were very good.
The least said about 2013 Kusadasi, Turkey, it is obvious the organiser bid alone to win the championship in the hope of making himself some money. The venue was changed on the eve of the committee travelling and was changed back to the original on our arrival and was staged in a new building where completion work was still being done up until the championship started, total chaos for the EMC and travelling athletes. This was only the second championship where we saw the organiser, he has not been seen since. A special mention for Mehmet Uyanik, a travel agent who sponsored the championship and without whom there would have been no championship. He did everything possible to comply with EMC requests regardless of costs to his company, thank you Mehmet.
A return back to Kazincbarcika for 2014 and 15 years after our first visit when I first became European Masters Chairman. Always good to see and be with friends who have been constant at championships every year. No doubts or fears that this championship would be like the previous year, good hosts, good venue, and another good championship.
Modesty forbids me saying too much about 2015 Bangor University, North Wales, the coast on one side and Snowdonia National Park on the other, and organised by me! The Organising Committee were all university staff with little knowledge of weightlifting but meetings were regular, they were keen, and they worked so hard; the venue too, was set up to perfection, I could not have asked for more. It would be nice to be able to say I organised the best championship ever but at least, and in my opinion, it was a very successful championship.
Only 4 years passed and the championship returned to Azerbaijan, for 2016 the city of Nakhchivan, and a different hotel but big enough to accommodate many of the lifters which made for a good atmosphere at breakfasts and dinners. Shuttlebus for those who wanted to use it, the venue was only 2 km approx. distance from the hotels, the weather was good, and it was nice to walk to the venue passing a big park with flowers blooming, and many polite and pleasant people around. A good championship again.
Much could be said about 2017 Halmstad, Sweden, because it was organised by Johan Erling in collaboration with Eleiko and in a brand-new purpose-built weightlifting venue. Wonderful stage and warm up facilities, all new Eleiko equipment, a restaurant in the venue, and visits into the factory next door where all the equipment is being made. Thank you Eleiko, and Johan, for a good and fascinating championship in the home of Eleiko.
The 2018 championship Budapest, Hungary, the venue was one of their many universities, all the facilities were good and it was a good championship, it was visited by the IWF President Tamas Ajan. The organiser fell down in several other ways, poor arrangements of airport transfers for some EMC members, recommendations of poor hotels for many athletes, poor selection of hotel venue for the closing banquet. The latter resulted in the EMC having to make all the arrangements suitable to be able to invite athletes.
Rovaniemi in 2019 was the opposite because the Masters Chairman Jorma Pallari laid all the groundwork in advance, all the necessary arrangements were perfect and he was supported by the Finland Federation. All the facilities were good; the stage, the warm up area, training facilities, and catering were in the venue, as was a lot of accommodation. A good championship in every respect, and all credit to Jorma Pallari.
The end of the decade was decided by a Pandemic, a ‘flu’ virus given the name Covid-19, and one which brought a stop to all live sport.
As you might expect the EMC do not sit back and wait for things to happen. By the end of 2020 an online virtual European Masters Championship opened for registrations. The number of entries was low, around 150, but the championship went ahead with lifters submitting videos of their 6 lifts and TO’s judging the videos independently and recording their decisions into the system on a website. Results were produced, medals posted to the first 3 in each bodyweight category withing age groups.
It would be the next decade before the Masters would be able to stage a live event.
Best Championships of the decade – 2019 Rovaniemi, Finland and 2017 Halmstad, Sweden for Eleiko
Most disappointing – 2013 Kusadasi, Turkey
EMC PERSONNEL
It is impossible to put a value on people who volunteer their services, time, and their money to be involved in Masters weightlifting. To be involved and work with EMC means a commitment to travel to all the championships to run the weightlifting and make a good championship for all the competitors.
As the Chairman I can only say I always gave my best and I thank all the many competitors over many years, and National Masters Chairmen for their respect and support. Without good people working with me on The European Masters Committee it would have been impossible and therefore they deserve a mention.
The Treasurer, Kurt Rosenberger from Wuppertal, Germany, was my right hand for many years, he was loyal for all the time he was with me and a huge support in 2006 when the IWFM Chairman attempted to force my resignation. We first met at the 1992 World and European Masters Championship in Oxford, England, and our friendship grew stronger with the passing years. Kurt competed in the Masters until he was nearing 90 years of age, he was injured when a car mounted the pavement and knocked him off his feet close to his home. My only difficult moment came when I had to ask him to step down as Treasurer because this was a man who served the Masters as an official from 1992 until 2015, 23 years.
General Secretary Denise Offermann (Cyprus) who I first met in 2004 and another fiercely loyal person who stood firmly behind me in 2006 when we had only known each for 2 years. She has become a good friend and is a tremendous and tireless worker for Masters weightlifting and as well as her official positions she runs the EMC and IWFMC Secretariats. Another 5 or 6 pages could be added to talk about Denise but I will close by saying everyone knows her and she is very popular.
The two Belgium friends Michel Verecke and Jozef Lazou, again I must mention loyalty and trust also; I first met them at the 1991 World Masters in Leimen-St.Ilgen, Germany, in 1991, and they were officially appointed by Congress in 2008. The sad news is that Michel had to step down after the 2018 IWF World Masters in Barcelona due to a sight problem leaving him with partial vision. The good news is that Jozef Lazou is still working with the committee as records Vice Chairman and Doping-Control assistant at championships.
Vice Chairman Anton Huber from Austria worked with the committee from my start in 1999 until his last championship in 2013, he later died after a severe stroke. It’s not my intention to use the word “loyalty” lightly but it must also be applied to Anton. He was also a true “gentleman”, polite to the extreme and very good manners. Anton was a good worker for the EMC and very popular.
Vice Chairman Jan Hinrichsen (SWE) worked with the EMC from 1999 until 2015, worked hard at championships but that was all “he brought to the table”, a sheep following the leader and loyalty not on the top of his list.
Vice Chairman Nikolaos Galiatsatos (GRE) worked with the committee from 2002 until 2007 when he was dismissed. Loyalty appeared to be his way to gain something to the extent he forgot he was a European; overall very disappointing.
Johan Erling was not a member of the EMC during those three decades but it would be wrong to think of competing this history without his inclusion. Johan and I met earlier but it was in Antalya, Turkey, at the start of the Millennium ,that we became friends. He asked if the Masters would like to have their own competition computer software to run championships, it was a great initiative but the question was how to “introduce” this when most organisers had their own software. I asked him about the Masters Age/Bodyweight formula which he looked into and I later discovered he had the software updated with the formula. He was present in 2007 Limassol and 2008 Bohumin , probably after an approach by the organisers and after that he was present at all the championships with the committee. Anyone and everyone at European Masters Championships must have seen Johan at the computer all day and every day at championships and producing all the results. He is a tireless worker for the Masters, I call him “Mr. Perpetual Motion”, he works the hardest at all championships. A good friend and a friendship of over 20 years.
Concluding comments
These are my memories, thoughts, and understandings of European Masters weightlifting events and in an attempt to cover championships. I was specifically asked to do this, there is so much more that it would be possible to write a book but I think there are not enough people interested enough to want to sit down and read a book. My attempt has been to make it factual and as brief as possible in the hope that Masters would pass on the fact that this information is on the website. When I state there is so much more, I mean that not everything has been as simple as I have explained in this document. As stated, from the start I wanted to improve the quality of the championships in every way possible for the athletes. With the help of many good people, especially those on the EMC, I think it was achieved although championships do vary from one year to the next.
There have been too many good things to mention and remember them in detail but there have also been bad things which I will never forget. A good example was 2013 Kusadasi, Turkey, when the behaviour and actions of the lone organiser were deplorable. At the same championship we met the sponsor, a travel agent by the name of Mehmet Vyanik, who did everything asked of him including spending a lot of his company revenue to ensure the championship was good. Mehmet contacted me by email in 2021 to ask me how I was, I think that’s just one example of the good things.
The history hopefully reflects a history and the EMC is into the 4th decade with a new Chairman, Harold Pijcke, who I am sure will bring new thoughts and ideas to manage all the new changes that often present problems. He has my complete trust and support; he will be a good EMC Chairman as he grows into the job. We first met in 2015 Bangor and in 2016 in Heinsheim we talked every day about the Masters and my work, and by 2019 I felt as if I had known him far longer. He impressed me so much I actually asked him to put his name forward to the next Congress to take over the position of EMC Chairman.
This document states only my thoughts, memories, and my opinions.
Bill Barton
European Masters Chairman 1999-2021 (Appointed in Kazincbarcika, Hungary, 1999.)