It appears elections for the beleaguered International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) are back on track, after a Special Congress over the weekend approved key measures which will enable elections to be held as planned.
Those elections, which were supposed to be back in May 2021, are now scheduled for June 25-26 of this year.
“A year ago the International Olympic Committee (IOC) set us three key tests: reform our governance, ensure clean weightlifting competitions at the Tokyo 2020 Games and deliver culture change through the holding of elections,” said IWF interim president Dr. Michael Irani.
“With two of those already complete, the IWF is now well on its way to delivering the third.”
Part of the measures approved were constitutional amendments to ensure a sound legal basis for the elections, which will be a call for candidates being issued on March 2, and eligibility checks on the candidates to be completed by the end of April.
The IWF has also established a fully ratified Ethics and Disciplinary Commission who will help vet the potential presidential candidates.
The IOC has removed weightlifting, along with modern pentathlon and boxing, from the LA28 Olympic program and has significantly cut back the number of weight classes for the Paris 2024 Games.
Back in December 2021 the IOC Executive Board expressed, “disappointment about the ongoing governance instability, which is keeping the current IWF leadership in charge and delaying the transition to a new culture.”
Although weightlifting is currently not on the Olympic program after Paris 2024, the IOC has left the door open to possible reinstatement, and Irani said the IWF is more than willing to cooperate with the IOC’s requests.
“The IWF is pleased to welcome independent legal expertise to ensure the elections are conducted to the very highest standards,” Irani said. “Let’s make Paris secure, no more positive tests, no more vitriolic letters to various sites.”
“With our conduct in the coming weeks and months, we can ensure whatever the results for individual candidates, weightlifting will be in the winner.”
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