It’s a modern first — the best young weightlifters in the world will compete side by side, literally, in a combined format. The 2025 Youth & Junior World Weightlifting Championships are set for Apr. 30 - May 5 in Lima, Peru.
- Remind Me: Youth (ages 13 to 17) and Junior (15 to 20) weightlifters have typically performed at their own World Weightlifting Championships.
Weightlifting House is proud to provide live streams of all Group A sessions plus up-to-the-minute podium reporting on our hub page. “We’re hoping a single, larger competition will provide more visibility for the athletes and a better experience for our viewers,” says founder Seb Ostrowicz.
This is your guide to following along with all the action in Lima; we’ve got session times, athletes to watch, and much more. Let’s dive in.
How To Watch the 2025 Youth & Junior World Weightlifting Championships
Below, you’ll find all the information you need about the Weightlifting House stream, the session schedule, and athletes we’re particularly excited for.
Youth & Junior World Weightlifting Championships | Stream
Weightlifting House will stream all Group A sessions live on Weightlifting House TV. If you’re interested in a specific weight class event, we’re offering per-session passes as well.
- One Big Thing: the Youth & Junior World Weightlifting Championships will run two platforms concurrently. We’ll provide separate streams for each platform.
Our live coverage of the Youth & Junior World Weightlifting Championships will not have commentary, but the team will be interactive and available in the chat to answer any questions.
Elsewhere: 2025 European Weightlifting Championships Results
Youth & Junior World Weightlifting Championships | Schedule
Here’s the deal — Youth athletes have certain exclusive weight categories (Girls’ 40 kilogram, for example) which will run independently.
Otherwise, Youth and Junior competitors of the same gender and same weight class will compete together. As such, you’ll likely find most Youth lifters in the B or C groups. Here are the paired sessions for each of the six competition days:
April 30
-
W40A + M49A
16:30 Lima
22:30 BST
17:30 EST
21:30 GMT
-
W45A + M55A
19:00 Lima
1:00 BST
20:00 EST
00:00 GMT
May 1
-
W49A + M61A
16:30 Lima
22:30 BST
17:30 EST
21:30 GMT
-
W55A + M67A
19:00 Lima
1:00 BST
20:00 EST
00:00 GMT
May 2
-
W59A + M73A
16:30 Lima
22:30 BST
17:30 EST
21:30 GMT
-
W64A + M81A
19:00 Lima
1:00 BST
20:00 EST
00:00 GMT
May 3
-
W71A + M89A
16:30 Lima
22:30 BST
17:30 EST
21:30 GMT
-
W76A + M96A
19:00 Lima
1:00 BST
20:00 EST
00:00 GMT
May 4
-
W81A + M102A
16:30 Lima
22:30 BST
17:30 EST
21:30 GMT
-
W+81A + M+102A
19:00 Lima
1:00 BST
20:00 EST
00:00 GMT
May 5
-
W87A + M109A
09:00 Lima
15:00 BST
10:00 EST
14:00 GMT
-
W+87A + M+109A
11:30 Lima
17:30 BST
12:30 EST
16:30 GMT
Youth & Junior World Weightlifting Championships | Preview
It might feel like Karlos Nasar came out of nowhere in 2021. But like most of weightlifting’s modern greats, Nasar made his international debut as a Youth athlete over two years prior when he won Youth Worlds in ‘19.
- By the Numbers: Sub-Senior weightlifting is on the rise. At Junior Worlds in 2024, we marked a 48% uptick in athlete attendance from just five years prior. Lima will host a slightly higher number of Junior competitors, 354 to 350, along with 257 Youth weightlifters.
This year’s Youth and Junior World Weightlifting Championships is more than one of the biggest meets of the year — it’s a sneak peek at the future of the sport. The next Lasha Talakhadze, Lu Xiaojun, or Loredana Toma could break out in Lima . Here are just a few of the athletes we’re keen to see on stage:
Kim Ju Phyong (61KG, PRK) is one of just two North Korean athletes enrolled in this competition. He’s in with a 280-kilogram entry total, the second-highest in the field, and will be making his IWF debut in Lima.
Kim Yong Ju (81KG, PRK) leads the Women’s 81-kilogram with a 250-kilogram entry total. She placed second at the World Cup last year as an 87 and bagged bronze at Worlds as well.
Ryan McDonald (81KG, USA) has moved up from the 73s and brought his total along for the ride; at 321, he’s got the lowest entry total in Group A, but his unique clean & jerk technique alone makes him worth watching.
Chen Guan-Ling (55KG, TPE) leads her class by a whopping 12 kilograms and is likely making one of her final competition appearances in Lima as a Junior athlete. She competed four times in 2024 and made it to the podium every time, including a silver medal at Worlds.
Sophie Shaft (64KG, USA) hasn’t made it to an international podium yet, but we think her luck’s about to change. Shaft sits in third behind two Chinese athletes (225 to their 230s).
Charlotte Simoneau (71KG, CAN) is at the front of one of the most competitive Women’s divisions with a 240-kilogram entry total. Three years ago, Simoneau placed 14th at Junior Worlds — since then, she’s made it to the podium at five straight international meets.
Ella Nicholson (76KG, USA), similarly, runs the table in her division with her 244-kilogram entry. Since her Youth debut in 2023, Nicholson has placed first or second at all four of her IWF competition.
Elsewhere: 2025 Oceania Cup + Youth & Junior Championships Results
You can find the Men's start book here, and the Women's here. You'll notice a marginalized presence from countries like China, North Korea, or Kazakhstan — this year's Youth & Junior Worlds wraps up just a few days before the 2025 Asian Weightlifting Championships.
Luckily, you can watch both live on Weightlifting House TV and follow along with our results pages as well. We'll see you there!
