Information for International-Qualifying BC Athletes

The jump from competing at a National-level to an International-level comes with different requirements, planning, and things to be aware of. This page is set up to help you better understand the process, build awareness around what to expect, and offer resources to continue to stay up to date as an athlete in a dynamic competition environment.


What you are responsible for:

  • Declare

    Declare: As an International Athlete, you must declare your intention to be eligible and compete at an International competition with CWHFC and BCWA. You may declare prior to posting an eligible competition total, though you will be required to achieve said total prior to the Team Selection Date. Note that the qualification period for International 1 + 2 and Elite Competitions differs.

    Qualification Period:

    • International 1 + 2: 8 months prior to Team Selection
    • Elite: 6 months prior to Team Selection

    Team Selection Notification:

    • International 1 + 2: 45 days prior to competition
    • Elite: 60 days prior to competition
  • Pay

    Pay: Once you declare, you must pay a non-refundable $100 WCH Administration Fee to CWFHC in order for your declaration to be official. This can be done via E-transfer; if you are unsure of where to send this, reach out to BCWA for support.

  • Entry

    Entry: Once you have declared and paid your Administration Fee, you will be notified by CWFHC upon selection to a team at which point you will be accountable for all forms, paperwork, and necessary athlete courses to be eligible.

    NOTE: Often communication from CWFHC comes with tight turnarounds, so be proactive and diligent in checking and responding to your emails. If there is anything in the Declaration process which you can do early, it is recommended.

  • ADAMS Completion

    ADAMS Completion: See ADAMS/Doping Control. Ensure you are registered within ADAMS and have successfully updated and maintained your athlete whereabouts; failure to do so will make you ineligible to be selected to a team.

International Qualification Standards

Qualification Totals

In order to be considered an International Athlete by WCH, there are thresholds you must meet. Each Threshold represents eligibility to compete at a different level, pending team selection. Note: unlike meeting the National-Qualifying Marker, meeting an International Qualifying Marker does not guarantee selection to a team. This process is further explained in the International Team Selection Process section. The below Minimum Thresholds of Performance are based upon a Marker System which is set and reviewed annually by WCH and the High Performance Committee; all Thresholds have an assigned percentage listed which shows what percent of the Senior Marker is needed to meet the Threshold (i.e. 85 or 88%). The Markers, themselves, are based on a review of Elite performance in each weight category globally, and levelled out to create a consistent qualifying threshold across weight categories in Canada that are competitive at the International level.

  • Senior International 1 minimum threshold of performance

    Senior Minimum Threshold of Performance (79% of Senior Marker)

    Female

    Weight Category Marker
    48 147
    53 158
    58 169
    63 178
    69 188
    77 199
    86 208
    86+ 234

    Male

    Weight Category Marker
    60 234
    65 245
    71 260
    79 277
    88 294
    98 309
    110 323
    110+ 356
  • Junior International 1 minimum threshold of performance

    Junior Minimum Threshold of Performance (73% of Senior Marker)

    Female

    Weight Category Marker
    48 136
    53 146
    58 156
    63 165
    69 174
    77 184
    86 192
    86+ 216

    Male

    Weight Category Marker
    60 214
    65 227
    71 240
    79 256
    88 271
    98 285
    110 298
    110+ 329
  • Youth International 1 minimum threshold of performance

    Youth Minimum Threshold of Performance (66% of Senior Marker)

    Female

    Weight Category Marker
    44 115
    48 123
    53 132
    58 141
    63 149
    69 157
    77 166
    77+ 174

    Male

    Weight Category Marker
    56 184
    60 194
    65 205
    71 217
    79 231
    88 245
    98 258
    98+ 270

Eligible Competitions:

  • Commonwealth Championships

  • FISU World University Championships
  • Various Invitational events as available from time to time
  • Senior International 2 minimum threshold of performance

    Senior Minimum Threshold of Performance (82% of Senior Marker)

    Female

    Weight Category Marker
    48 153
    53 164
    58 175
    63 185
    69 195
    77 206
    86 216
    86+ 242

    Male

    Weight Category Marker
    60 242
    65 255
    71 269
    79 287
    88 305
    98 320
    110 335
    110+ 369
  • Junior International 2 minimum threshold of performance

    Junior Minimum Threshold of Performance (76% of Senior Marker)

    Female

    Weight Category Marker
    48 142
    53 152
    58 162
    63 171
    69 181
    77 191
    86 200
    86+ 225

    Male

    Weight Category Marker
    60 223
    65 236
    71 250
    79 266
    88 282
    98 297
    110 311
    110+ 342
  • Youth International 2 minimum threshold of performance

    Youth Minimum Threshold of Performance (69% of Senior Marker)

    Female

    Weight Category Marker
    44 120
    48 129
    53 138
    58 147
    63 156
    69 164
    77 174
    77+ 182

    Male

    Weight Category Marker
    56 192
    60 203
    65 214
    71 227
    79 242
    88 256
    98 270
    98+ 282

Eligible Competitions:

  • Pan American Championships
  • Junior Pan American Championships
  • Youth Pan American Championships
  • Grand Prix events and World Cups

  • FISU World University Games

Next Gen refers to athletes that are born in 1998 or after.

  • Senior Next Gen Elite minimum threshold of performance

    Senior Minimum Threshold of Performance (85% of Female Marker)

    Female

    Weight Category Marker
    48 159
    53 170
    58 182
    63 192
    69 202
    77 214
    86 224
    86+ 251

    Male

    Weight Category Marker
    60 251
    65 264
    71 279
    79 298
    88 316
    98 332
    110 347
    110+ 383

Eligible Competitions:

  • Pan American Championships
  • Junior Pan American Championships
  • Youth Pan American Championships
  • Grand Prix events and World Cups
  • FISU World University Games

Next Gen Elite Minimum Threshold of Performance:

Athletes 25 and under (in 2023, born in 1998 or later; in 2024, born in 1999 or later) may qualify for Senior Elite-level competitions with an 85% of Marker Threshold of Performance. Athletes meeting the Next Gen Elite Marker, while eligible for a Senior Elite Event, will still be subject to other Team-selection criteria; further, if an athlete has met the Senior Elite Threshold (88% of marker) they will be given preference over an athlete meeting the Next Gen Elite Threshold

  • Senior Elite minimum threshold of performance

    Senior Minimum Threshold of Performance (88% of Senior Marker)

    Female

    Weight Category Marker
    48 164
    53 176
    58 188
    63 198
    69 209
    77 221
    86 232
    86+ 260

    Male

    Weight Category Marker
    60 260
    65 273
    71 289
    79 308
    88 327
    98 344
    110 360
    110+ 396
  • Junior Elite minimum threshold of performance

    Junior Minimum Threshold of Performance (80% of Senior Marker)

    Female

    Weight Category Marker
    48 149
    53 160
    58 171
    63 180
    69 190
    77 201
    86 211
    86+ 236

    Male

    Weight Category Marker
    60 235
    65 248
    71 263
    79 280
    88 297
    98 312
    110 327
    110+ 360
  • Youth Elite minimum threshold of performance

    Youth Minimum Threshold of Performance (72% of Senior Marker)

    Female

    Weight Category Marker
    44 125
    48 134
    53 144
    58 154
    63 162
    69 171
    77 181
    77+ 190

    Male

    Weight Category Marker
    56 201
    60 211
    65 224
    71 237
    79 252
    88 268
    98 281
    98+ 294

Eligible Competitions:

  • IWF World Championships
  • IWF Junior World Championships
  • IWF Youth World Championships
  • World Championships

International Team Selection Process

Declaring intent to compete is the responsibility of the athlete to complete, but if you have any questions around timelines for specific competitions, please reach out to BCWA and we can support you in getting the information you need. After the cut-off date for declarations, WCH will select a team based on qualifying totals within the allocated team spots for the competition. Team selection limits 2x athletes per weight class, generally capped at 10 athletes total per gender.

Note: first an athlete must hit the Threshold for Performance, from there, WCH will select a team of 10 athletes (who have declared), and of those 10 a maximum of 2-per weight category will be allowed. For more specific information around the selection process, please refer to HAL Selection Procedures: https://weightliftingcanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Selection-Procedures-2023-V1.1-9-Feb-2023.pdf.


International Event Calendar:


Athlete support:

BCWA will support any international athlete/coach in their travel with $500 towards their trip; athlete/coach must meet international standards required to attend (Athlete Threshold of Performance, Coach NCCP Competition Development Trained) and be a BCWA member in good standing.


Qualifying to Represent Team Canada:

YOU MUST BE A CITIZEN OF CANADA OR A LANDED IMMIGRANT AND RESIDE IN CANADA FOR THE PAST 12 MONTHS If dual citizenship is held, your sport nationality must be registered as Canada with the IWF or other applicable body, at the time of the final qualification event. Exceptions may be made to the residency requirement for students studying abroad.

YOU MUST HAVE A VALID CANADIAN PASSPORT An athlete must possess a Canadian Passport with an expiration date no less than 6 months after the end of competition, or the entry requirement of the host nation, whichever is greater.

DOPING POOL REGISTRATION You must be registered in the ADAMS system with Whereabouts completed for the required period prior to the competition through to the final day of the competition. The required period for most international competitions is two months. For world championship events and major games, the period is three months. YOU MUST BE THE CORRECT AGE FOR THE COMPETITION The IWF recognizes four (4) age groups: Youth: 13-17 years of age Junior: 15-20 years of age Senior: 15+ years of age

Doping/ADAMS

As an international athlete, you are required to be registered for doping control and testing through the ADAMS system. For resources on how to set up and maintain your ADAMS account, see the resource section below. You are accountable for knowing doping regulations, policies, and processes; you can be tested at any point, and refusing a test from a DCO can result in suspension.

Note: You are required to keep your athlete and training information up to date at all times; should the IWF find you out of compliance, you will be ineligible to compete internationally. Do not let this slip, as Canadian athletes have been removed from international competition teams for not keeping their profile updated.

Upcoming Events

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