At the beginning of December, we received the tragic news that our friend and fellow referee, Leif Josefsson, had passed away suddenly due to illness. It is with great sorrow that we share this message with everyone in our powerlifting community, and he will be greatly missed.
In addition to his role as a referee, Leif was actively involved in club activities and held several positions of trust, not only within our sport but also in other organisations. Leif dedicated a lot of time to education and to helping clubs operate in the best possible way. Much of today’s Swedish referee courses is based on Leif’s early work. The countless hours Leif devoted will continue to benefit the sport in the future.
What few people know today is that Leif was one of our sport’s great lifters when the discipline was relatively new, and he won medals at both international competitions and Swedish championships. He also held several Swedish records in the class then called 52 kilos. After ending his own career, he became a referee, reaching the highest category, and even then, he devoted much voluntary time to the sport.
Leif leaves a great void, and many have known Leif for years, regarding him as a good friend and colleague. We will treasure many wonderful and joyful memories of Leif, and our thoughts are with his family and loved ones.
Patrik Björk / Chair of the Swedish Technical Committee
