Masters Weightlifting is the Olympic sport of weightlifting for persons 35 years old or older. Weightlifting is the ultimate sport of strength and power and should not be confused with power lifting, bodybuilding, or general weight training. Weightlifting consists of two events; the snatch and the clean-and-jerk.
All Masters Committees are and have been run by volunteers, possibly alongside the lifters in being most important in the running of Masters weightlifting championships. The idea of the Masters and the start of retired weightlifters taking up their sport and competing again was the concept of Bill Clark (USAU). Bill’s big interest was baseball but on retiring he took up weightlifting and introduced many innovative ideas which still thrive today, possibly his greatest idea was to bring women into weightlifting at a time when this was not allowed. You could say he was the spark which lit many fires.
In 2022 the IWF Masters committee voted in the change of name to International Masters Weightlifting Association, running as an Association.
Many Masters, men and women, hold the belief that Masters weightlifting is about competing for as long as possible in their chosen sport, not necessarily to win medals but just to enjoy the idea of competitions again and enjoy the social aspects of making and meeting friends.
Sadly, the social aspects and benefits appear to be fading in recent years but the benefits to long-lasting good health will always remain.
