The start of 2026 has brought news about the weightlifting season, some of which came as a surprise. Most notably, a lot of significant developments occurred in regard to the 2026 EWF Junior & U23 European Weightlifting Championships, which were originally supposed to happen in Poland. However, after some discussion, the organizers decided to move the competition to another location since Poland refused to allow entry to athletes from Russia.
Poland is the neighboring country of Ukraine, which has been the target of the Russian invasion for nearly four years. As such, Poland holds a firm stance against Russia, which clearly also matters when it comes to sports. While Russian athletes are usually allowed to compete under a neutral flag, Polish authorities did not even want to grant anyone from Russia entry to their country. Moreover, they also refused to provide a visa to athletes from Belarus.
In response, the European Weightlifting Federation discussed what their next step would be. Since they aim to keep politics out of sport, they believe that everyone should be granted the opportunity to compete. Consequently, the EWF decided to strip Poland of their hosting rights and looked for another location.
“The EWF Executive Board decided to cancel the 2026 European Junior & U23 Weightlifting Championships, which were scheduled to take place in Poland. This decision was taken after the host country failed to provide the required guarantees for visa access for athletes from Russia and Belarus.
Once again, the EWF reaffirmed its firm and consistent position that sport must remain above politics. The Federation stands for inclusion, equal opportunity, and unity through sport, and does not accept discrimination based on political or geopolitical circumstances, especially at a time when such tensions are on the rise across the world.
EWF remains committed to protecting athletes’ rights to participate fairly and without political barriers.”
Get Fitter, FasterLevel Up Your Fitness: Join our 💪 strong community in Fitness Volt Newsletter. Get daily inspiration, expert-backed workouts, nutrition tips, the latest in strength sports, and the support you need to reach your goals. Subscribe for free!
The EWF announced that the 2026 EWF European Junior & U23 Weightlifting Championships will take place in October at a venue in Albania. So, the competition will also experience a slight delay, since it was originally set to take place in September but is now scheduled for October of 2026.
Interestingly, this is not the only occasion where Poland banned Russian athletes from entering the country and taking part in competitions. On another recent occasion, two Russian ski jumpers were prevented from competing at the World Cup.
In regard to the ski jumpers, local sources claimed that Poland’s sports minister stated that “the idea of a Russian competing in Zakopane is non-existent.” Moreover, he continued by saying that “the Russian national team, even under a neutral flag, should not participate,” due to the situation that is happening in Ukraine.
The EWF decided that relocating the event was the only way to ensure all eligible athletes could participate. Poland’s firm stance on entry requirements made hosting the championships there impossible under current federation rules. Now that Albania has stepped in to host the competition, the 2026 season can move forward, giving the athletes a clear goal to work toward.
You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and
YouTube for even more content.
