2018 World Weightlifting Championships
The 2018 World Weightlifting Championships were held in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, from November 1–10, 2018, at the Ashgabat Weightlifting Arena. It was the first World Championship after the IWF changed weight classes and wiped out all previous world records. Because of the changes, 31 senior men’s world records and 41 senior women’s world records were set during the event. A notable moment came when Turkmenistan’s president, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, lifted a golden weight bar (without weights) during a cabinet meeting to celebrate the event; the clip was shown on state TV and drew wide ridicule in the international press. The competition included two types of medal rankings: Big (Total result) medals, and all medals (Big for the total, plus Small for Snatch and Clean & Jerk). A total of 582 competitors from 85 nations took part.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 15:40 (CET).