Bulgaria’s Karlos Nasar takes gold after a formidable challenge from Kazakhstan’s Nurgissa Adiletuly, with Iran claiming bronze and host China demonstrating its strength across the championships.
NINGBO, China, 5 November 2026 — Weightlifting tests strength, speed, balance and precision through two lifts. In the snatch, an athlete raises a barbell from the floor to overhead in one continuous movement. In the clean and jerk, the bar travels first to the shoulders and then overhead. Competitors receive three attempts at each lift, with their best successful results added together to determine their total and overall placing
At the 2026 IWF World Weightlifting Championships in Ningbo, Bulgaria’s Karlos Nasar delivered an extraordinary demonstration of those skills. He won the men’s 95kg category — the athletes’ bodyweight limit — with a combined total of 415kg, ahead of Kazakhstan’s Nurgissa Adiletuly and Iran’s Ali Alipour. China’s Qian Feixiang finished fourth. Official IWF results
Watching the championships in China, I was struck by how much drama the sport compresses into each attempt. Months of preparation come down to seconds. The weight must rise, the athlete must establish control and the movement must meet the technical requirements before the effort counts.
At the Ningbo Olympic Sports Center on 4 November, Nasar repeatedly met that challenge. For European followers, his victory provided a memorable Bulgarian sporting success. The quality of his challengers and the wider strength of the host nation gave the evening an appeal extending well beyond one country’s celebrations.
Nasar began his snatch sequence at 175kg, progressed to 180kg and completed 185kg. In the clean and jerk, he successfully lifted 213kg, 220kg and finally 230kg.
Adiletuly finished with 399kg, combining a 182kg snatch and a 217kg clean and jerk. Alipour took bronze with 396kg, made up of 181kg and 215kg. Qian’s 172kg snatch and 213kg clean and jerk gave him 385kg overall. IWF results and attempt records
The final winning margin was substantial, but the record sequence revealed how the contest developed.
Adiletuly briefly established a snatch world record at 182kg before Nasar surpassed it with 185kg. The Kazakh also raised the total record to 399kg. Nasar answered with 405kg before pushing it further to 415kg on his final attempt. By the end of the session, the Bulgarian held the category’s world records in all three measures. IWF world-record progression
That changing target is central to weightlifting’s fascination. Athletes and coaches must respond to the scoreboard while judging what remains physically possible. A successful lift can secure a position, create another opportunity or force an opponent to attempt more weight.
Nasar’s consistency gave him increasing control. He completed all six attempts, and his closing 230kg clean and jerk came with the title already secured. According to the IWF, it was the biggest lift in international competition by an athlete weighing under 100kg for seven years. He finished 16kg ahead of Adiletuly. IWF competition report
It was an emphatic way for the Paris Olympic champion to claim his fourth world title, an achievement confirmed by the Bulgarian Olympic Committee. Ningbo added another major success to his growing record on the international stage. Bulgarian Olympic Committee
Adiletuly’s silver deserves recognition in its own right. Alongside second place overall, he earned silver medals in both individual disciplines, delivering Kazakhstan’s first medal success of these championships. Qazinform’s report
His record lifts helped shape the session. They required a response from the favourite and demonstrated the standard needed to challenge for the title. Nasar’s exceptional finish should not obscure the achievement of the athlete who helped push the competition forward.
Alipour’s bronze offered a different example of competitive resilience. After missing his opening clean and jerk at 214kg, he returned to complete 215kg. His final attempt at 224kg was unsuccessful, leaving him with a 396kg total and bronze medals in both lifts as well as the overall competition. Alipour’s results
For spectators, those recoveries are among the sport’s most absorbing moments. A failed attempt leaves little time for frustration. The athlete must assess what happened, make any necessary adjustment and approach the bar again.
China’s Qian finished immediately outside the podium, but the impression of Chinese strength extended well beyond the men’s 95kg contest.
The women’s 61kg competition supplied a convincing demonstration. Pei Xinyi won with 254kg, combining a 112kg snatch and a 142kg clean and jerk, ahead of compatriot Yang Liuyue on 249kg. Pei completed all six attempts and established world records in the clean and jerk and total. IWF women’s 61kg report
That Chinese one-two gave substance to the sense that the hosts were a formidable presence. It also showed why an assessment of a national team needs to look across the programme. Each category brings a different contest, and the full championship reveals much more than any single podium.
China had also celebrated Zhang Haiqin’s victory in the women’s 53kg competition. Her 221kg total placed her just one kilogram ahead of the United States’ Miranda Ulrey, illustrating how narrow the difference between gold and silver can be. IWF women’s 53kg report
North Korea has contributed further outstanding performances. Pak Pyol’s victory in the men’s 70kg category included world records and delivered his country’s fourth title of the championships. Success across different nations and categories has given Ningbo a compelling international character. IWF men’s 70kg report
The championships also carry significance beyond the medals awarded in China. Running from 27 October to 8 November, they mark the first Olympic qualification competition on the road to Los Angeles 2028. With further sessions still to come, the event’s final balance remains open. IWF event announcement
For athletes and coaches, Ningbo provides an early measure of the demands ahead. For spectators, it offers a chance to follow those ambitions from the beginning of the qualification journey.
My lasting impression from watching in China is an appreciation of how much each completed lift contains. The movement is brief, but its success depends on preparation, technique and the ability to act decisively under pressure.
Bulgaria supplied the champion of the men’s 95kg session. Kazakhstan and Iran earned their places beside him, while China demonstrated its wider quality across the programme.
The defining image belongs to Nasar: gold already assured, 230kg waiting on the bar and one final successful lift to finish an extraordinary evening.
