The International Weightlifting Federation runs three flagship World Championships - for senior, junior and youth weightlifters.

Senior World Championships

The IWF's World Championships for senior lifters is the governing body's most elite event.

The competition dates all the way back to 1891, when the first edition for only male weightlifters was held in London.

In 1987, the first Women's World Championships were held in Daytona Beach in the United States.

Separate events for men and women continued until 1990, when the decision was taken to bring male and female athletes together in one combined competition. 

The first joint World Championships featuring both men and women took place in Donaueschingen in Germany in 1991.

Since then, the event has usually taken place every year, with the exception of Olympic years when no competition takes place.

The next edition of the World Championships will be held in Bahrain in 2024.

The 2025 Championships are scheduled for Forde in Norway.

A record-breaking event took place at the 2023 World Championships in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia where more than 719 athletes contributed to the biggest event ever.

China topped the medal table with 20 golds, 10 silvers and three bronze.

Thailand finished second with Egypt third.

Highlights included Weeraphon Wichuma of Thailand becoming the first C-group lifter to win a world title in the men's 73kg, as he claimed total and clean and jerk gold.

Six world records were set at the event in all. Jiang Huihua and Liao Guifang, China's total world record breakers at 49kg and 71kg respectively, jointly shared the top female lifter award.

China's Chen Lijun won the best male lifter prize for his gold at 67kg.

Gold medals were awarded for total, snatch and clean and jerk across 20 weight divisions - 10 for men and 10 for women.

The men competed in the 55 kilograms, 61kg, 67kg, 73kg, 81kg, 89kg, 96kg, 102kg, 109kg and over-109kg events.

Women took to the stage at 45kg, 49kg, 55kg, 59kg, 64kg, 71kg, 76kg, 81kg, 87kg and over-87kg.

Sixty sets of medals were available in all, as with the 2022 World Championships in Bogota in Colombia.

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Junior World Championships

The IWF Junior World Championships are for male and female lifters aged between 15 and 20.

Marseille in France hosted the first edition of the event in 1975 and it is now held on an annual basis.

The most recent edition was held in Heraklion on Greek island Crete in 2022.

More than 300 athletes from 61 countries took part across the weight divisions.

Turkey won two gold medals, three silvers and a bronze to top the standings.

Guadalajara in Mexico is due to host the Championships in November 2023.

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Youth World Championships

Weightlifters aged between 13 and 17 can compete at the IWF Youth World Championships.

Eleven editions have been held since the inaugural event in Chiang Mai in Thailand in 2009.

Durres in Albania staged the last edition of the Championships in March and April 2023.

Nearly 400 lifters from 61 countries registered for the competition.

Lima in Peru will stage the next Youth World Championships in 2024.