Samoa’s Tuaopepe Asiata Jerry Wallwork has been elected onto the International Weightlifting Federation Executive Board.
The Head Coach and President of Samoa’s Weightlifting Federation was elected during the International Weightlifting Federation Electoral Congress 2025 taking place this weekend in Riyadh Saudia Arabia.
Tuaopepe was the only representative from the Oceania region who was successfully voted onto the IWF Executive Board.
Mohammed Jalood was re-elected as the IWF President for the period 2025-2029, after receiving 168 votes from the delegates present.
Jalood is a former athlete, coach and administrator from Iraq who said the result demonstrates the unity in the weightlifting family.
For the two next major positions, Mr José Quiñones (PER), President of the Pan-American Weightlifting Federation was elected the new IWF General Secretary, while Ms Ursula Papandrea (USA) was reconducted as the IWF First Vice-President.
The two new IWF Vice-Presidents are Mr Mohammed Al-Harbi, from Saudi Arabia – a former member of the Board, and Mr Chengliang Liu (CHN).
Tuaopepe is one of the remaining 12 members of the 2025-2029 IWF Executive Board comprising:
Ms Wen Hsin Chang (TPE)
Mr Matthew Curtain (GBR)
Mr Pyrros Dimas (GRE)
Ms Gardencia Du Plooy (RSA)
Ms Yassiny Esquivel (CRC)
Ms Karolina Lundahl (FIN)
Mr Shakhrillo Makhmudov (UZB)
Mr Florian Sperl (GER)
Ms Sirilak Thatman (THA)
Mr Boukar Tikire (CMR)
*Mr Jerry Wallwork (SAM)
Mr Luis Zambrano (ECU)
Tuaopepe was awarded a Samoa Order of Merit in June 2023 for his contribution to the development of sports in Samoa, particularly the high-achieving National Bank of Samoa national weightlifting team.
Tuaopepe Asiata is also currenly the President of the Samoa Association of National Olympic Committee (SASNOC) – having been elected in April 2025.
Tuaopepe represented Samoa at the 1992 Summer Olympics, following in his late father’s footsteps. Tuaopepe is the son of weightlifter and Commonwealth Games medalist, the late afioga Seiuli Paul Wallwork.
