01.04.2025. The first competitions of the WORLDS 25 Qualifier season have already been successfully completed. Over 250 athletes have already set their total for our WORLDS ranking. Based on the experience gained from these competitions, we have published an update to our FinalRep Streetlifting rulebook with effect from 1 April 2025. The updates compared to the previous version relate exclusively to section 3.8) and the use of licensed elbow sleeves only. This article explains what this change is all about.
Background information about the equipment licensing system
2024 we have started with a licensing of weight belts and rings. In 2025 we have added officially the elbow sleeves as a crucial streetlifting specific apparel. We have communicated this openly and made it well visible on our website and social media.
What we only have missed is to include the formulation in our rulebook, that only licensed elbow sleeves are allowed at the competition platform (as we already have it in place for the weight belts). This is why such confusion came up.
What we also did not know is how aware the „community“ is of the importance of such a licensing system. When implementing this „system“ of licensed equipment, we assumed that many people are familiar with it because Powerlifting (as one of the closest existing sports to Streetlifting) has such a system in place for now many year. There it is common sense that you only use „licensed apparel“ at competition (on beginner and pro level). Therefore we expected it to be well understood if we implement kind of the same system.
Why is a licensing system important for Streetlifting
To give you some more context, why this licensing system is important for the sport:
Regulation of quality. Clear example: if you have equipment that can provide athletes not only safety but advantage in terms of resistance in their movement, a person who wears the heaviest equipment has a significant advantage. This is why „equipped powerlifting“ came up, where some knee sleeves provide you up to 30kg in squats. This contradicts with our philosophy of Streetlifting, which has its roots in Calisthenics as a „street sport“ or „raw sport“. However, we previously have decided to do not ban equipment but to regulate it. The system we have established this year, marks a starting point. We know that it is not perfect yet and we are dedicated to improve it.
Optimizing processes. Having a clear list of licensed brands and products makes it a lot more easier for the athletes, who can just select their apparel from a well visible list, and for organizers, who can just go through a list when making their checkups with athletes at the competition / weigh-ins, if the equipment suits the given criteria.
Create an incentive for manufactures to be long-term invested in the sport. The creation of new products is always an invest for manufacturers. Such should be respected and supported to strengthen the development of Streetlifting. By having such a licensing system, manufacturers receive the attention they need and deserve on their products. And if here is such a system with clear criteria that will be reviewed, they can be sure (if we do our review job properly), that other companies follow the same rules. This gives more fairness and transparency in the equipment market.
Implications for competition organizers
As the rulebook with its today’s update says, only FinalRep licensed elbow sleeves are allowed at the competition platform. The responsibility of the organizer and the head judge is to make sure that this rule is properly executed. If an athlete competes with a weight belt or elbow-sleeves that are not licensed, their lifts have to be judged as „no rep“.
Because weight-belts are mandatory for the sport, all organizers of FinalRep WORLDS 25 Qualifiers will provide licensed weight-belts at their competition to all athletes. Athletes can bringt their own weight belt (if it is a licensed product) or can use one provided onsite. Elbow Sleeves instead are not required for a competition. Every athlete is free to choose if he or she wants to use those.
The responsibility for us as FinalRep and for the organizer is to communicate properly to all participating athletes prior to the competition, that only those licensed equipment is allowed at the competition platform. Everyone can always refer to the FinalRep Rulebook website and the Licensed Competition Equipment Website.
Conclusion
The development of streetlifting has continued to accelerate this year. Numerous new nations and organisations have joined FinalRep and are organising top-class streetlifting competitions. As a result, we at FinalRep are also facing new challenges every day that need to be overcome.
We would like to take this opportunity to once again thank all those involved in this project for their trust in us. It is a great honour to go this way together with you and to lead streetlifting to a great and worldwide sport.
Let’s keep pushing the limits together!
— Your FinalRep Team 🧡
