Topic: What happened?

[Paul LeDrew]

When did the shift in world power in weightlifting transition from the Soviets to the Chinese? It seems the Chinese and the Turks have a very firm grip on winning now. I'm new to the sport, and after expecting the Soviets to still be in control, it cam as a suprise.

Anybody know when this began?
Any ideas as to why this happened?
And insight into the next shift of power? if so, to where? and when?

[Matt Foreman]

One of the main reasons is the amount of money that is getting pumped into weightlifting programs in those parts of the world.  When the Soviet Union was up and running, Soviet weightlifting had lots of money, talent identification programs, sports schools, financial rewards for weightlifters, etc., so there were a lot of great weightlifters being developed systematically for years and years.  The weightlifting system there was a lot like the system for football or track and field is in this country.  When the USSR fell, the money for weightlifters and the chance to make a career out of lifting started to dwindle.  Now, fifteen years later, many of the former Soviet republics are just as hard up for weightlifters and weightlifting resources as the US is.  There are still a lot of great lifters from these countries because the one thing that hasn't gone away is the drugs.  They're still juicing hard and the tradition of weightlifting still produces results internationally.  However, we're starting to see several drug positives because these countries don't have the money to invest in good drug detection and "lab work" to beat the tests.  There isn't enough dough to pay a whole staff of scientists and doctors to make sure the tests come back negative.  I read an interview with Yoto Yotov a while back that basically said this same thing about Bulgaria (without mentioning drugs, of course).  

China, however, is right in full swing.  Their sports system is right where the USSR's was back in the 1970s and 1980s.  There are sports schools and lots of government money to be made if you win a World Championship.  The government puts a lot of money into the sports programs, so you're going to have a) lots of lifters b) lots of drugs and c) lots of medical staff to keep the tests clean.  

When did it start?  I think it really started when the USSR fell apart, although former Soviet countries have continued to dominate since then because the system is too established and strong to fall apart overnight.  Back in the 1960s, it took the US a long time to fall from power after the golden era of Kono, Davis, Shcemansky, and the York superpowers.  But it did fall apart, and US lifting sank to the bottom internationally.  I hope the European/Asian drug powers fall apart in the same way in the years to come, but I doubt it will happen.  The IWF and all the drug cheaters/cheater supporters of the world don't want to see a Senior World Championship where a clean lifter wins the 105s with 170/205.

In this sport, you're punished if you choose the honorable path.  If you lie and cheat, you'll be rewarded.  I suppose its getting that way in most sports, for that matter.  It's something every lifter has to reckon with in his own way before he decides to make a life out of it.

[Paul LeDrew]

Wow, Very informative Matt. Thanks a lot. I see exactly what your saying about the training and talent search programs, and it saddens me to see that a sport like weightlifting has zero acclaim among the commoners in North America. I think even a small injection of funds into weightlifting would cause a significant enough change that some of the people who have been working as hard as they have been simply to get close to international levels could actually get the opportunities to get closer to matching up to their eastern counterparts in their respective weight classes.

As a person who loves most sports that require, speed, agility, and strength in some facet of the terms [hockey, football, rugby, baseball, most olympic sports, even WSM and Highland games and PL] it saddens me to see that entertainment has become such a high priority here in North America that we would rather pay millions and billions anually to see our own teams beat each other [two American, two Canadian, one of each, whatever] rather than putting a small percentage of those billions of dollars that are put into professional football, baseball, and hockey leagues and see some internation winners in individual sports like weightlifting and track and other olympic sports.

Sad, but it seems that we in North America find no national pride in our athletes, and the only value they have for us is to compete against other cities, states, etc. inside our own borders, and the only branching out that is done is recruiting foreign athletes to play for our american teams [especially in hockey]. We are simply being entertained by beating ourselves time and time again, which, in the long run, hurts patriotism and national pride.

My two cents.

[Matt Denslinger]

As a person who loves most sports that require, speed, agility, and strength in some facet of the terms [hockey, football, rugby, baseball, most olympic sports, even WSM and Highland games and PL] it saddens me to see that entertainment has become such a high priority here in North America that we would rather pay millions and billions anually to see our own teams beat each other [two American, two Canadian, one of each, whatever] rather than putting a small percentage of those billions of dollars that are put into professional football, baseball, and hockey leagues and see some internation winners in individual sports like weightlifting and track and other olympic sports.

Won't happen until weightlifting becomes more popular. Granted everyone can do something to help WL become more known nationally. It's an uphill battle but why not try? right?

I figured I could also design some shirts and sell them, I know my friends will wear them, but I guess anything to help.