Finland Meets the World: Sonja Koponen Opens Team Finland's World Championships

The road to the 2026 IWF World Championships has officially begun.

Our first preview episode, "Finland Meets the World", is now available on YouTube. In this opening chapter of our championship coverage, we shine a spotlight on one of the most inspiring athletes in Finnish weightlifting: Sonja Koponen.

Watch the episode now on YouTube.

A Finnish Story on the World Stage

When the women's 49 kg competition begins, Finnish weightlifting fans will not have to wait long to see blue and white on the platform.

Sonja Koponen will begin her World Championships campaign on October 27 at 05:00 (Finnish time) in the B Group. Later that same day, the world's biggest names in the category will battle in the A Group at 13:00 (Finnish time).

For many viewers, the headlines will be about world records, medal favorites and superstar athletes. Those stories deserve attention.

But before we get there, we wanted to spend time discussing Sonja's journey.

She represents something that resonates deeply within Finnish weightlifting: commitment, perseverance and balancing elite sport with everyday life. Sonja's path to the World Championships is not the story of a full-time professional athlete supported by a massive system. It is the story of a mother, a worker and an athlete who has continued to pursue excellence despite all the demands that come with life outside of sport.

That story deserves to be told.

Why This Series Matters

One of the ideas behind this World Championship preview series was simple: if Finnish weightlifting is worth following during the competition itself, it is worth understanding before the first barbell leaves the floor.

That's why I wanted these episodes to go beyond entry totals and medal predictions.

I wanted conversations.

I wanted context.

And most importantly, I wanted expertise.

That brings me to one of the reasons I am most excited about this project.

Bringing in Miika Antti-Roiko

For this series, I had the opportunity to bring Miika Antti-Roiko into the discussion.

Honestly, I could not be happier about it.

Miika brings something I simply cannot offer by myself.

His decades of experience within Finnish weightlifting, his coaching background and his deep understanding of athlete development provide a perspective that goes far beyond statistics and competition results.

While I can cover the storylines, study the start lists and follow international trends, Miika can explain what those performances mean from a technical and coaching perspective. He understands the realities behind elite-level preparation in a way that few people do.

That combination creates discussions that are not only more informative, but hopefully far more valuable for viewers preparing to follow the World Championships.

As the series continues, you'll see exactly why his insight adds so much to these conversations.

The Global Stars Await

The women's 49 kg category is stacked with world-class talent.

The division features reigning stars such as Ri Song Gum of North Korea and Zhao Jinhong of China, athletes capable of pushing the boundaries of the sport and rewriting record books.

In the episode, we explore not only what makes these athletes special, but also one of the big questions heading into the championships:

Is Ri Song Gum currently the most dominant female weightlifter in the world?

It's exactly the kind of debate that makes the opening days of the World Championships so fascinating.

Coming Later This Week: Part Two

The conversation is only getting started.

Later this week, we'll release Part Two of our 2026 World Championships Preview Series, featuring some of the most anticipated storylines of the entire event.

Topics include:

Men's 75 kg

The return of Rahmat Abdullah
Is Rahmat once again the king of the division?
The challenge from Ri Ryong Hyon
Weeraphon Wichuma
B Group stars including Masanori Miyamoto and Julio Mayora

Men's 85 kg

Yeison Lopez
Mohamed Younes
Ro Kwang Ryol
Alexey Churkin
Which contender poses the greatest threat to the favorites?

China vs North Korea

Perhaps the biggest storyline of the entire World Championships.

The deeper we dive into the start lists, the harder it becomes to ignore the possibility that North Korea could emerge as the defining story of the competition.

Has China finally met an equal?

Or does the world's most successful weightlifting system still stand alone?

We'll discuss both perspectives in detail.

More Finnish Coverage Still to Come

Our World Championship coverage does not stop there.

During the first week of November, we'll also publish a dedicated episode covering the competitions featuring Janette Ylisoini and Minni Hormavirta, giving Finnish fans an even closer look at Team Finland's remaining athletes and their opportunities on the world stage. And it will not end there, last episode is dedicated to Hanno and the super heavy weights, one of the most controversial men`s session to come.

Watch the Episode

The first chapter is available now.

Before the records fall, before the medals are awarded, and before the biggest stars step onto the platform, we start with a Finnish story.

A story about perseverance.

A story about opportunity.

A story about Sonja Koponen standing on the sport's biggest stage.

Watch "Finland Meets the World" on YouTube now.

Which storyline are you most excited to follow at the 2026 IWF World Championships? Sonja Koponen's World Championship competition, Rahmat Abdullah's return, or the battle between China and North Korea? Let us know in the comments below.