History of Weightlifting
Since the beginning of civilization people have been fascinated by strength and power. As a basic athletic activity and a natural means to measure muscular strength, many ancient civilizations such as Egyptian, Greek, Roman, or Chinese, incorporated the lifting of weights into their culture. The weights were generally stones, but later gave way to dumbbells. The roots of modern weightlifting took hold in the middle of the 19th century in Austria, Germany and France. From the 1950's to 1980's Soviet Union reined supreme, with Bulgaria a main contender. Since the mid 1990's, Turkey, Greece, and China have catapulted to the lead. Overall, Europe is the most powerful continent in weightlifting.

Did you know?
The first World Championships took place in 1891 in London, England, with seven athletes representing 6 countries.
The first Olympic Games in Athens, Greece in 1896 had weightlifting on the program - along with athletics, swimming, gymnastics, fencing, wrestling, shooting and cycling.
Women first competed at the World Championship level in 1987, and made their first appearance at the Olympic Games in Sydney, 2000.
Some lifters in the lighter body weight categories can lift three times their own body weight.
The 2003 World Weightlifting Championships in Vancouver marked the first time in 25 years that the event has been held in North America, and the first time ever in Canada.
The 2003 World Weightlifting Championships were the biggest sporting event in the history of B.C., with 85 countries participating.

MESSAGE FROM THE OFFICE
The Manitoba Weightlifting Association Executive and Staff would like to express sincere thanks to all the volunteers that gave their time at our events over the past few months. Without your help MWA events would not be possible and please know that your assistance is appreciated.

Although most MWA contests are now completed, on the administrative side we are now approaching a very busy and important time of the year. The Executive will begin preparing our application for funding which we submit annually to Sport Manitoba. This document also acts as our yearly plan and budget for the new fiscal year and season. Other upcoming events we are working on include a Level II Technical Coaching Course and involvement in the first ever Sport Expo to be hosted by Kidsport and Great West Life on April 18, 2004.

I would also like to take this opportunity to remind you that I am at Weightlifting office Tuesday and Thursdays from 9:00 am-5:00 pm and on Fridays from 9:00 am -1:00 pm. You can contact the Weightlifting office by phone @ 925-5689 of by e-mail weight@sport.mb.ca

Nicole Fallis
MWA Program Administrator

2003 MWA AWARDS as presented at the annual Festival du Voyageur banquet:

Volunteer of the Year is presented to an MWA member or friend that volunteered their time in support of weightlifting in Manitoba and to Manitoba Weightlifting Association events/activities.
The 2003 recipient is Susanne Dandenault. Susanne currently holds the position of Vice President Administration on the MWA Executive Committee and devotes much of her free time to the efforts and many events of the association, including acting as Meet Director for a number of MWA events this past year. Susanne also volunteers her time for her club, the Brick Gym, just recently playing a major role in finding their new facility.

Official of the Year is presented to an MWA official for their achievements and commitment to excellence in officiating. The 2003 recipient is Rick Scully. Rick was upgraded to Level II official at the 2003 Junior Canadian Championships in January 2003. As an active and dedicated official he attend almost every MWA contest in 2003. Rick will be attending the 2003 Western Canadian Champions as an official next month and he is sure to continue as a prominent and respected official for many years to come.

Spirit Award is presented to a MWA athlete who, regardless of level or achievements, has: remained committed to their training; maintains a positive attitude; and continuously supports the weightlifting community through volunteer work. The 2003 recipient is Jon Astolfi. Jon has continually been a source of support and inspiration for his clubs members and MWA members as a whole. His genuine love of the sport in evident and his positive nature has influenced anyone that has trained and competed with him. From working many MWA bingos to posting pictures of MWA events on the web, Jon is quick to offer a helping hand whenever he is available.

Coach of the Year is presented to a coach in recognition of their coaching achievements and for their commitment to their athletes and the sport of weightlifting. The 2003 recipient is Mirek Korkowski. Mirek, a fully certified level II coach, oversees the largest club in the MWA and spends countless hours working on improving both his club and his athletes. The commitment to excellence is evident in the success of his athletes. Mirek coaches 7 Provincial Champions and 1 National team member who competed in the 2003 World University Games, as well as, the 2003 Senior World Weightlifting Championships. As Manitoba's only certified Course Conductor, Mirek oversees the technical coaching clinics that we offer each year and therefore, has played a role in the development of certified weightlifting coaches in the Province.

Athlete of the Year Awards - presented in Jr. and Sr. categories for both Men and Women are awarded to athlete with the highest Sinclair total of the season:

Jr. Women's Athlete of the Year - Rosemary Densmore
With a Sinclair total of 182.21 Rosie holds the Provincial records in the clean & jerk, snatch and total for Women's 53 kg in both the Junior and Senior Categories. Rosie was the Gold Medallist in the 2003 Junior Nationals and 2003 Senior Western Canadian Championships and Silver Medallist at the 2003 Senior Canadian Championships. In 2003 Rosie attended the 2003 Junior World championships in Hermosillo, Mexico.

Jr. Men's Athlete of the Year - Chad Klatt
With a Sinclair total of 178.62 Chad is a relative newcomer to the sport of weightlifting, but has already made an impact. He entered his first contest in June 2003 and four months later he had already increased his total by 30 kg. A truly dedicated and gifted athlete, Chad also competes in wrestling and track and field and has seen his efforts in the weightlifting pay off for his other sports. His increased strength as a result of weightlifting has showed in his wrestling matches and in the shot put where he has already improved 2.5 meters from his best result last year.

Sr. Women's Athlete of the Year - Susanne Dandenault
With a Sinclair total of 225.00 Susanne holds the Provincial records for the clean & jerk, snatch and total in the Women's 75+ kg category. She also holds the Canadian records for the clean & jerk and the total for the 75+ kg. The gold Medallist in the 2003 Western Canadian Championships and the 2003 Senior Canadian Championships, Susanne has reached the highest honors at the National level. Internationally Susanne represented Canada twice this year attending both the 2003 Pan American Games and the 2003 Senior World Championships.

Sr. Men's Athlete of the Year - Rafal Korkowski
With a Sinclair total of 356.06 Rafal holds the Provincial records in the clean & jerk, snatch and total in the Men's 105 kg and 105+ kg. Rafal has had a very successful year as he continually showed steps of improvement throughout the season. Rafal was the gold medallist at the 2003 Western Canadian Championships and the Bronze Medallist at the 2003 Senior Canadian Championships. Internationally Rafal represented Canada at the 2003 International University Games and the 2003 Senior World Championships.

Competition Results

Manitoba Senior Provincial Championships, January 24, 2004, Winnipeg, MB

Officials: Joe Landreville, Linda Nielsen, Rick Scully, Susan Dandenault

Coaches: Charlotte MacEachern, Mirek Korkowski, Quinn Nguyen

Junior Canadian Championships, Lachute, QC, January 24, 2004

Referee: Joe Landreville, Dan Decraene, Peter Rohne, Craig MacEachern

Officials Tips: by Joe Landreville

Preface
This portion of the newsletter is dedicated to the communication, education, and interpretation of the rules that govern Olympic Weightlifting. Technical rules are based on the current International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) 2001-2004 Handbook.

Officials Tip#8
Touching the platform with any part of the body other than the feet occurs with either the knees in the split versions of the lifts or the buttocks in the squat versions of the lifts. It is permissible for a loose fitting costume to touch the platform but not for knee bandages as they are in direct contact with the knees that are supporting the lift.

Bending and extending the elbows during the recovery occurs when a lifter completes a lift with power to spare. This results in both arms re-bending and re-extending. This is very difficult to adjudicate. If the lift is performed quickly and the lifter is following the bar's energy, the athlete should get the lift. If extra lockout force is required to complete the re-extension, then the lift should be turned down.

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