European Weightlifting Standings: Armenia Dominates as Nasar and Campbell Shine in Batumi

The road to the 2026 IWF World Championships has taken a definitive shape following the conclusion of the European Weightlifting Championships in Batumi, Georgia. Across eight days of fierce competition, the continent's premier lifters battled not only for regional supremacy but for crucial momentum ahead of the fall majors in Ningbo, China.[2]

The team standings delivered a resounding victory for Armenia, whose men's squad successfully defended their continental title. Amassing 567 ranking points, the Armenian men outpaced perennial powerhouses Bulgaria and Turkey. Across both men's and women's divisions, Armenia topped the overall medal table with an impressive haul of nine gold, eight silver, and seven bronze medals.

Armenia's triumph was anchored by Varazdat Lalayan, who reinforced his status as Europe's premier super-heavyweight. Competing in the +110 kg division, the Olympic silver medalist secured his third European title with a clinical series of lifts. Lalayan snatched 210 kg and clean-and-jerked 241 kg, finishing with a massive 451 kg total that left his competitors trailing by a wide margin.[1][3]

While Lalayan dominated the heaviest class, Bulgaria's Karlos Nasar provided the fireworks in the 94 kg category. The 21-year-old phenom, fresh off being named Europe Weightlifter of the Year by the European Weightlifting Federation, captured his fourth continental title in spectacular fashion.

Nasar opened his clean and jerk with 210 kg, immediately securing the gold medal, before loading a massive 223 kg in a bold attempt to break his own world record. Though he fell just short of the historic lift, his 386 kg total was more than enough to comfortably defeat Armenia's Ara Aghanyan, who finished with 381 kg.[1]

The women's competition featured arguably the most intense head-to-head duel of the championships in the super-heavyweight (+86 kg) division. Great Britain's Emily Campbell faced off against Norway's Solfrid Koanda, the reigning Paris 2024 Olympic champion who had moved up in weight to challenge the British icon.[1][2]

The lead changed hands dramatically throughout the session. Koanda struck first, setting a new European Senior Record in the snatch with a successful 119 kg lift. However, Campbell responded with a towering clean and jerk of 159 kg—also a new continental record. This propelled the British lifter to an absolute total of 276 kg, edging out Koanda's 275 kg total to claim the overall gold.[1]

In the lighter weight classes, the standings were defined by razor-thin margins. The women's 53 kg category saw a dramatic battle between Romania's Mihaela Cambei and Belgium's Nina Sterckx. Cambei, an Olympic silver medalist, took an early lead by winning the snatch gold with a 95 kg lift.

However, the clean and jerk proved decisive. Cambei successfully lifted 114 kg but missed her final attempt at 117 kg. Sterckx capitalized on the opening, clearing 116 kg to reach a 210 kg total—surpassing Cambei's 209 kg total by a single kilogram to snatch the overall European title.

Beyond the individual accolades, the Batumi championships served as a critical qualifying marker for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Several non-European athletes, including lifters from South Africa, competed out of official standings to secure their Commonwealth ranking points, adding a unique global dimension to the event.[2]

As the dust settles in Georgia, the global weightlifting community now turns its attention eastward. The performances in Batumi have drawn the battle lines for the upcoming IWF World Championships in Ningbo, China, where Europe's newly crowned champions will face off against formidable squads from China, Iran, and the Americas.[2]