IWF World Weightlifting Championships Open in Ningbo, Launching LA28 Olympic Qualification
More than 500 athletes from across the globe began competing in Ningbo, China, at the 2026 IWF World Championships — the first of ten events that will determine Olympic qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Games.
The 2026 IWF World Weightlifting Championships opened on 27 October at the Ningbo Olympic Sports Center in Zhejiang Province, China, with over 500 athletes competing across 16 bodyweight categories over a 13-day programme running to 8 November. The event marks the official start of the LA28 Olympic qualification cycle: athletes must take part in at least five of the ten qualifying events scheduled between now and the 2027 World Championships to earn an Olympic ranking, with three valid totals required. Women's events in the 49 kg and 53 kg categories launched the competition on the opening day. Among the headline contenders is Bulgarian lifter Karlos Nasar, Olympic gold medallist at 89 kg in Paris 2024 who subsequently took the world title at 94 kg, now stepping up to the new 95 kg category. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea has sent seven world-record holders to Ningbo, making it one of the strongest fields in recent championship history. Hosts China are also expected to dominate several categories. The championships double as the most significant barometer of global strength in the sport ahead of Los Angeles.
