IWF120y/63 – 1983: Start of a successful story for ZKC

In northern China, in the Hebei province, the city of Botou has about 300,000 inhabitants, a small town according to the country’s standards. But for the weightlifting world, it assumes a special importance: since 1983, the barbell equipment ZKC has been produced there and has become a major partner of the IWF throughout the years. Certified by our International Federation in 2005, the bars and plates from ZKC were already present at the 2008 Olympics, held in Beijing. Since then, they were again the official suppliers of the Games in Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020ne, and Paris 2024. ZKC was also present in the first two editions of the Youth Olympic Games, in Singapore 2010 and Nanjing 2014. The Hebei Zhangkong Barbell Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (the official and complete name for ZKC) factory has a surface of 40’000 m2 and integrates 70 sets (including 10 fully automatised) of equipment production and 18 more for testing material. Moreover, the ZKC unit incorporates a flaw-detection and straightening department, a barbell quenching and tempering section, and a plate inspection centre. At the IWF World Championships level, ZKC was the equipment supplier at the 2023 showcase in Riyadh (KSA) and has been present in many Asian major events in recent years.