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EWF nominates Russian weightlifters Kuzminova, Kurochkin for Rising Star Award

According to the organizers, the Rising Star Award is intended to spotlight young promising athletes who represent the future of global weightlifting

MOSCOW, April 14. /TASS/. Russian weightlifters Varvara Kuzminova and Arseny Kurochkin have been nominated by the European Weightlifting Federation (EWF) jointly with the European branch of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS Europe) for the Rising Star Award in the women's and men’s categories respectively.

According to the organizers, the Rising Star Award is intended to spotlight young promising athletes who represent the future of global weightlifting.

In all, 20 young athletes have been nominated for the award - 10 in the women's category and 10 in the men’s category. Among the nominees are two weightlifters each from Moldova, Ukraine and Turkey and one each from Bulgaria, Albania, Finland, Greece, Poland, Great Britain, Italy, Armenia, Georgia, Romania, Ireland and Azerbaijan.

The winners of the the EWF-AIPS Europe Rising Star Award will be announced at the opening ceremony of the 2026 European Senior Championships in Batumi, Georgia on April 19.

Kuzminova, 17, won the 2025 World Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships (held in Peru in May) in the under-17 age group and in the under-76 kg weight category. At that championship the Russian set three world records and was recognized the best weightlifter of the tournament. In July 2025, she won the gold at the European Youth Weightlifting Championships in Madrid, Spain.

Kurochkin, 17, also won the gold at the 2025 European Youth Weightlifting Championships in Madrid having set a new European record in his age and weight category.