The European Powerlifting Federation (EPF) has published the report (doc) from its annual meeting held May 5 in Frydek-Mistek, Czech Republic. The EPF is a regional affiliate to the IPF and includes top countries like Russia, the Ukraine, and Poland as members.

Raija Jurkko of Finland was elected to the EPF Hall of Fame. In her career, Jurkko has earned a total of 3 medals at the World Games, 13 medals at the Open Worlds, and 12 medals at the Open Europeans.

Ielja Strik from the Netherlands and Jaroslaw Olech from Poland were awarded European lifters of the year for 2007.

Arnulf Wahlström talks about the anti-doping work and future goals of the federation in his President's address:

In year 2007, EPF made 93 doping tests at European championships and 4 lifters were suspended due to positive doping results, 2 lifters received a warning and 2 cases are still pending. This is a discouraging result meaning that about 8 % of the doping tested lifters were positive.

In 2007 EPF carried out a little less number of tests in competitions than the previous year as the number of participants have been less than the year before. But EPF has economically supported the OCT testing made by IPF so the mother federation was able to conduct more OCT testing. EPF will also in 2008 support the OCT testing made by IPF.

Conclusions.
2007 was a special year for EPF with two of the strongest member federations, Russia and Ukraine, suspended most of the year. Due to this, the number of participants in European championships was lower than the year before but the fights about the medals were more exciting and closer.

It is not a good situation for EPF that member federations are suspended due to doping violations as in one hand this shows the “world outside” that powerlifting has a problem with doping abuses, but on the other hand it also shows that IPF and EPF is consistent in the fight against doping.

Many European member nations have a good anti-doping policy and the lifters, coaches and leaders have the right attitude and work together to institute the right mentality in the whole national organisation and especially influencing the youngest lifters.

In nations were doping has for many years been accepted, lifters as well as coaches and leaders co-operate to hide doping abuses. To change such a mentality of a whole organisation takes time and only very drastic actions like suspension and high fines seems to be helpful. To appeal about fair play in the sport is unfortunately not enough.

In 2007, EPF has again been in forefront by working out an Organising Handbook which is also adopted by IPF. This is a “bible” for any organiser of European and World championships specifying all details needed to arrange and run a successful championship. This book completes the Technical Checklist, which up till now has been the guideline for organising the technical part of the championship.

Future goals.
Every organisation, like an industrial factory, has to focus on quality. Quality means that the organisation must work effective and have good routines and take care of the Health, the Environment and the Security.

The EPF administration has worked out several documents and guidelines specifying working routines and checklists both for the administration and the organizers of European championships to achieve the aims listed above.

The main duty of the EPF administration is now to work along these routines and to control and stimulate our national members and organizers to follow the same routines. All together this will make EPF as organisation more structured and professional to the benefit of lifters, coaches and officials and this will also make powerlifting as sport more respected by “the man in the street”.

An organization based on voluntariness and unpaid officials, like EPF, must work hard to gain a professional level but with good routines as those established by the EPF I am sure we all move in the right direction.