A new weight category for women was formally adopted in Penang, Malaysia Wednesday as the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) Executive Board and Congress met ahead of the 2016 World Youth Championships. First announced last month , the new weight category adopted is 90kg. The super heavyweight category will move to +90kg. With this addition, there will be an equal number of weight categories for men and women with eight each.For youth, the IWF Congress added a 75kg weight category for girls. The super heavyweight category will move to +75kg.These new weight categories will be offered at this year's American Open in Orlando, FL. Also formally adopted Wednesday, a new rule requiring both men and women alike to open within 20kg of their entry total. Previously, women were required to open within 15kg of their verified entry total.

The IWF Executive Board meeting in Penang, Malaysia

In an effort to bring more gender parity to the sport, the IWF approved a Constitutional amendment requiring a minimum of two positions for women in leadership roles including Vice President and an Executive Board member.The Congress also approved the abolishment of body weight advantage in ranking in favor of giving the higher ranking to an athlete who lifts first.All new rules take effect 1 January 2017.Looking to the future, the IWF announced the 2018 World Weightlifting Championships will be held in Pattaya, Thailand. This announcement comes one day after the IWF Executive Board voted to hold the 2017 World Weightlifting Championships in Anaheim, USA. You can read more about the meetings on the IWF Website.