TECHNICAL NEWS BULLETIN NO 5 2007

Bench Press ( Lock-out ) ?

The certificate issued by the Medical committee is now a necessity for those lifters claiming disability in the elbow area restricting "full" lock-out.

The Technical committee fully concur with the statement forwarded by the M C which reads as follows:-

Recently, the IPF has ruled that the TUE ( Therapeutic Use Exemptions ) process can be applied to lifters unable to achieve " full extension " of elbows despite being fully "locked-out"

This exception should mainly apply to lifters with traumatic injuries / surgery and certain congenital and acquired diseases.

Required documentation includes.

1)  radiology report ( x-ray or similar )

2)  diagnosis or name of disease / injury

3)  quantified limit of function in degrees ( e.g. 15 loss of extension )

All three components must be provided by an appropriate healthcare professional.  At present, the standard for elbow TUE is a maximum deficit of no more than 15 degrees.

This exemption only applies to elbows, no other body part will be considered.  The IPF M C recognises the need to include as many people as reasonable in our sport, but we must also maintain the technical standard of performing a given lift.  Therefore, knees that do not lock-out will unlikely ever pass a squat or dead-lift on the IPF platform.

Similarly, we recognise the difficulty referees will face in judging un-even extension and un-even lock-out when one arm only is involved.  Even when TUE is awarded, we

suggest kindly reminding platform officials at the time of competition.  The goal is for arms that are truly locked-out at less than 180 degrees to be recognised as a legal lift.

Bernie Miller DC: Chair IPF Medical Committee

It is to be emphasised that consideration is only give to elbows.  Requests for limited knee flexion to be taken into account, unfortunately, will be denied.

The TC is recommending that the acceptable 15 degrees out of true be written into the rule book as clarification of the rule.

It should not be necessary to produce the certificate to remind platform referees of the impairment prior to each attempt.  The jury will be in possession of this and would have informed the referees.

Shoes/Boot ( Inserts )

It has been noted that there are 1 cm thickness heel inserts ( the legal limit ) for sale on some stalls at International Venues.  If worn, it is advisable that these be checked in.

Rumoured that some lifters may be building up the heel area inside the shoe with several layers - Beware!!   Those discovered face disqualification.

New Referees (exam passes since issue 4 )

Category One

Werner Hafner ( GER )

Lief Josefsson ( SWE )

Johnny Graham ( USA )

Category Two

Alex Dimas ( El Salvador )

Marta Lidia Cano ( Guatemala )

Julio Osbaldo Quiroa Meza ( Guatemala )

German Rodolfo Vicente ( Guatemala )

Marco Antonio Lopez ( Guatemala )

Marco Antonio Andrade ( Guatemala )

Clara Luz Salazar ( Guatemala )
Jennifer Thompson ( USA )

Congratulations to all

Report to Congress 2007

Members

Bill Jamison                    (Canada)

Bill Clayton                    (USA)

Hanie Smith                   (South Africa)

Henk Keizer                   (Netherlands)

Joachim Lehmann           (Germany)

Johnny Wiklund              (Sweden)

Steve Lousich               (New Zealand)

Subrata Dutta               (India)

Norbert Wallauch            (Austria) - ex officio

The Technical Committee are pleased to report to Congress our activities throughout the past year, and other duties pertaining to our brief.

The en-bloc proposals to Congress 2006 that were passed "unanimously" was pleasing to the committee.  This show of confidence was much appreciated.

We have met with the Executive Committee on two occasions, discussing the future of the bench shirt, ( which, is an agenda item for this years congress ) the pros and cons relating to bench press rules and many aspects which may further enhance our sport.

We are pleased to invite Joachim Lehmann (Germany) onto the committee, replacing Myriam Busselot ( Belgium ) who was elected Vice President for theEuropean Region.

Thanks to Myriam for all of her help in the past.

The Technical Committee Bulletin published on the IPF web site and in the IPF magazine, ( thanks to Wim Wamsteeker and Dennis Unitt ), hopefully has provided information of benefit to all.

E:mails have been answered punctually, most requesting interpretation or clarification of the rules.

Apart from Titan, no apparel has been received from the manufacturers for approval within the time frame ending 31st May 2007.  On approval, these items will become legal for use in IPF competition from the 1st April 2008.  Approval has been given to " one or two" logos and a set of racks.  Our relations with all remain as cordial as ever.

Referee Registrar Goran Gunnarsson has forwarded the up-dated list of International Referees World Wide.  We thank Goran for his dedication.   Having recently been hospitalised ( now back at home we are glad to say ).  We wish him well.

International IPF Referees:

01 - 09 -2007

Personally, I have attended three World championships, the selection of referees and overseeing being the primary functions, and two Regional Meets.  One in an advisory capacity.  My thanks for the input and support from Committee Members, and any necessary funding from the IPF Treasury.

Finally, as this is election year, my thanks to Arthur Hoey (British Weight Llfters Association) - Powerlifting Manager, for endorsing the proposal that I continue in the positon of Technical Committee Chairman for another four years.  Should I be re-elected, I will do my utmost to justify that in which this position in the IPF deserves.

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Often heard said - ' No news is good news ' -  I guess that rings true with this editon of T.C. News.  I am sure there will be more to relate following the Congress.  Of course,

it is possible (this being election year) that a different scribe could be pushing the pen in this column after October!!

John Stephenson

Chairman IPF Technical Committee