Dear Powerlifting Friends
2025 is coming to a close and what a fantastic year it has been. It was a year of adventure for me and two major milestones come to mind.
Firstly, we established a new leadership team in June at our AGM in Chemnitz, Germany. The transition has gone smoothly and the team is working well together. We have great chemistry as a team, bringing together different skillsets and perspectives. Friendship and common purpose unite us.
The second milestone was the expansion of our World Games programme with the inclusion of classic lifting. This enabled us to showcase more athletes than ever before with 128 places compared to the previous 96.
The organising team in China put on an incredible event and their army of volunteers were always on hand to help out. From an athlete’s perspective, the experience in Chengdu was unparalleled.
2026 promises to be a great year for the sport. Our first event is the Sheffield Championships in the UK, bringing together the very best of IPF classic athletes for what is always an incredible spectacle. In 2026 we will visit Sheffield twice, returning in November for their first event in their new stadium venue.
Our first world championship will be the World Bench Press Championships in Warsaw in Poland in May. We are expecting upwards of 1,500 athletes and, with all the supporting personnel, around 3,000 people will be heading to Poland for this single event. This will be a huge endeavour and logistically challenging but, of course, this is a great problem to have!
I look forward to another great year for powerlifting and for friendship between the participating nations. Powerlifting is always growing and I want to thank you all for your friendship, for the competitive spirit and achievement.
I would also like to thank our presenting partners, SBD and Eleiko for their unwavering support which allows us to continue to develop and push the sport forwards.
From our family to yours, wishing you a happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year.
Sigurjón Pétursson
IPF President
