Armenia receives World Weightlifting Championships flag as Harutyunyan announces dates for Yerevan event

Armenia has taken over the hosting baton for the World Weightlifting Championships. On November 8, the championships flag was handed to the Armenian delegation in Ningbo, China, with Yerevan set to host the next edition in 2027. The Weightlifting Federation of Armenia reported the ceremony.

Federation president Arayik Harutyunyan said the opening ceremony of the home championships is planned for September 20, with competition scheduled to run from September 21 to October 3, 2027.

However, the International Weightlifting Federation’s (IWF) published calendar still lists the exact dates as subject to confirmation. The dates announced by Harutyunyan therefore reflect the stated plans for the event.

Yerevan will host the senior World Weightlifting Championships for the first time. Armenia was awarded the hosting rights in March 2024 at an IWF Executive Board meeting in Phuket. The Armenian capital previously hosted the 2023 European Championships. The home world championships will form part of the qualification process for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

Preparations for the event will take place alongside a review of the national team’s performance in Ningbo. Harutyunyan said the federation would analyse the results of the completed championships and draw the appropriate conclusions.

Armenian weightlifters won four medals at the 2026 World Championships: a bronze in the total, a silver and two bronzes in the individual lifts. Varazdat Lalayan claimed the team’s only medal in the combined total. He also finished second in the snatch and third in the clean and jerk. Aleksandra Grigoryan earned the other individual bronze in the clean and jerk.

The next World Championships will give Armenia’s national team an opportunity to compete for medals in front of their home supporters and improve their standing in Olympic qualification.