WORLD BODY BUILDING FEDERATION (WBBF)

[UGNE_WFF_WBBF_secretary]

2026 INTERNATIONAL TRAINERS AND JUDGES SEMINAR IN KLAIPĖDA.
WE WILL DEVELOP NEW FITNESS CATEGORIES.
WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO TURN BODYBUILDING INTO NORMAL SPORT.
In preparation for the 37-th WFF-WBBF World Amateur and Professional Championship, which will take place on October 24–25, 2026, at the Neringa “Agila” Cultural Cultural Center, the WFF-WBBF World Federation together with the International Sport University will organize an International Trainers and Judges Seminar in Klaipėda on September 27, 2026.
Participants of the seminar will be awarded corresponding international qualifications.
During the event, new fitness categories will be introduced, athlete evaluation criteria discussed, and important judging issues reviewed. The organizers emphasize their commitment to gradually returning to the classical understanding of bodybuilding based on aesthetics, symmetry, and professionalism.
Part of the seminar lectures and practical sessions are expected to be conducted by a unique guest professor — currently the world’s only old-school professional posing virtuoso.
Final details are now being coordinated, and the organizers expect the program to remain unchanged.
More information coming soon. Follow International Pages www.wff.lt and www.worldfitness.lt

[International Secretary]

1967 COMPETITIONS IN KLAIPĖDA.
THE BEGINNING OF THE “AMBER PRIX”.
In 1967, the first “Amber Prix” tournament held in Klaipėda became one of the most significant events in the history of bodybuilding sport. The competition marked the beginning of a tradition that has continued for six decades, making the “Amber Prix” one of the oldest bodybuilding tournaments in in the World today.
In Europe, only the National Amateur Body Building Association “Universe” contest, organized in England since 1950, has a longer history, while in the United States the “Mr. Olympia” contest has been held since 1965. Following these events, the Klaipėda-based “Amber Prix” continues its own distinguished history and traditions.
During the 1960s, a new sport emerged in Lithuania — bodybuilding. At that time, it was officially called “athletic gymnastics,” as the Western term “bodybuilding” was politically unacceptable in the Soviet Union. The sport rapidly gained popularity, and regular competitions began to be organized, including the “Amber Prix” tournaments. Viewed from today’s perspective, these events reflect not only the history of Lithuanian bodybuilding, but also that of the entire socialist world of the period. It was here that fitness later emerged as an independent sports discipline.
The first “Amber Prix” tournament took place in April 1967 at the Klaipėda Polytechnic School. The main organizer of the event was Antanas Jonuškutis (1942–2003). The competition consisted of two parts: in the first, athletes competed in strength exercises, while in the second they demonstrated muscular development and physical aesthetics.
A total of fourteen athletes participated in the inaugural tournament. Among them were already well-known competitors from Kaunas — Algimantas Ramanauskas (1944–2022), Primas Bieliūnas, Klemensas Alšauskas, and Gintautas Šiuolis. The winner of the first “Amber Prix” tournament was Klemensas Alšauskas.
More details are on International Site www.wff.lt

[Secretary_International]

LEGENDARY “AMBER PRIX”.
1968 “Amber Prix International”.
Following the successful inaugural competition held in 1967, the bodybuilders of Klaipėda continued to foster the traditions of athletic gymnastics. In 1968, the second “Amber Prix” tournament became an international event, bringing together athletes from the Lithuanian SSR, Latvian SSR, and the Russian SFSR.
That same year, during an international tournament held in Kaunas, the “USSR Bodybuilding Federation” (Athletic Gymnastics Commission) was established to coordinate the development of bodybuilding throughout the Soviet Union. Five members were elected to the federation’s executive board, including two Lithuanians: Vytautas Zumeris and Valerijus Koreškovas.
During the “Amber Prizx” tournament in Klaipėda, the federation also held a meeting to discuss current organizational matters and the further development of the sport.
Competition Results
(top three places only)
Youth Group
Height Category 1
1. Pavel Tarakanov (Vilnius, Lithuanian SSR)
2. Vytautas Venclauskas (Kėdainiai, Lithuanian SSR)
3. Osvaldas Griskevicius (Kaunas, Lithuanian SSR)
Height Category 2
1. Valdas Aliubavicius (Vilnius, Lithuanian SSR)
2. Algis Jonkus (Palanga, Lithuanian SSR)
3. Valdas Kapcevicius (Kėdainiai, Lithuanian SSR)
Height Category 3
1. Arvydas Lekstutis (Kaunas, Lithuanian SSR)
2. Vidmantas Povilionis (Klaipėda, Lithuanian SSR)
3. Jurij Tiurikov (Kėdainiai, Lithuanian SSR)
Adult Group
Height Category 1
1. Klemensas Alsauskas (Kaunas, Lithuanian SSR)
2. Jevgenij Koltun (Tyumen, Russian SFSR)
3. Girsas Langevicius (Kaunas, Lithuanian SSR)
Height Category 2
1. Lionginas Danilevicius (Kaunas, Lithuanian SSR)
2. Alfonsas Mecius (Klaipėda, Lithuanian SSR)
3. Mecislovas Seibokas (Ukmergė, Lithuanian SSR)
Height Category 3
1. Leonas Pivoriunas (Vilnius, Lithuanian SSR)
2. Antanas Mineikis (Klaipėda, Lithuanian SSR)
3. Danil Pasternak (Riga, Latvian SSR)
Overall Winners
• Valdas Aliubavicius – overall winner of the youth group
• Leonas Pivoriunas – overall winner of the adult group.
More detailed information is on International Site www.wff.lt

[Chairman_Organizing_Committee]

BODYBUILDING – NO LONGER A SPORT?
Who Destroyed Bodybuilding in Lithuania?
Today, the crisis of bodybuilding is openly discussed not only in Lithuania but throughout the world. For many people it has already become obvious why this sport has lost its authority, popularity, and athletic value. Only a few know the real actors behind this process, but today we can calmly look back at history and facts.
The global turning point came around 1990, when professional wrestling magnate Vince McMahon attempted to take over professional bodybuilding and transform it into a commercial entertainment show. At that moment, bodybuilding began rapidly moving away from the principles of traditional sport.
Soon afterward, many of the most famous female professional bodybuilders left the sport forever, including Corinna Everson. This was a clear sign that bodybuilding was fundamentally changing.
Another major blow came in 1998, when the International Olympic Committee refused to recognize the IFBB federation and, consequently, did not recognize bodybuilding as an Olympic sport. From that moment it became clear that bodybuilding had lost any realistic chance of being considered a fully legitimate sport. Although IFBB federations in some countries still receive government funding, in many cases this continues more out of inertia than because of genuine sporting value.
The Situation in Lithuania
For decades Lithuania was one of the strongest bodybuilding nations in Eastern Europe. Today, however, its influence on the international stage has practically disappeared. The bodybuilding community knows very well who is responsible for this situation.
For many years, the Lithuanian IFBB federation publicly attacked other organizations, accusing their athletes of using doping substances. Yet statistics speak for themselves — IFBB athletes themselves have repeatedly appeared in doping scandals, and the list of such cases seems endless.
Because of the current IFBB policies, many real bodybuilders have left the federation. Those who remain usually compete in events where doping control is either weak or purely symbolic.
This was clearly visible at this year’s Lithuanian IFBB Championship in Kėdainiai. Any experienced observer could easily notice that there were practically no athletes on stage representing the idea of natural bodybuilding.
The situation in regional competitions is even more disappointing. At a recent event in Šiauliai, only four bodybuilders and six women of questionable athletic quality participated. This demonstrates not growth, but a deepening crisis.
Alternative Directions
Meanwhile, the level of athletes competing in NAC championships remains relatively high, with some competitors displaying truly international-level conditioning. However, even there the number of participants remains limited.
The international WFF-WBBF federation has chosen a completely different direction. For many years, the federation has been developing original fitness and aesthetic sport disciplines while searching for new formats and audiences.
A few weeks ago, WFF-WBBF competitions held in Klaipėda attracted as many as 289 athletes. This proves that an alternative path may have real potential.
Interestingly, various international organizations are increasingly copying WFF-WBBF ideas. Recently, IFBB organized its first exhibition aerial acrobatic fitness competition in Spain — a discipline that has long existed within the WFF-WBBF system.
When there are no original ideas of your own, copying others becomes the only option.
Can Bodybuilding Recover?
Today, classical bodybuilding worldwide has nearly reached rock bottom. The number of competitors is declining, public interest is fading, and sporting credibility continues to disappear.
However, this does not mean everything is lost.
There are new directions, new disciplines, and a new understanding of aesthetic physical culture. A more modern model must be developed — one that appeals to younger generations, preserves athletic value, and is not confined to the outdated structure of traditional bodybuilding.
The road will not be short, and it will not be easy.
But time will tell — perhaps we will succeed.
More information is on International Site www.wff.lt