Colombia Protests Threatened Weightlifting Exclusion from Tokyo

(ATR) Colombian sport is shocked by the possibility that one of its Olympic stalwarts, the weightlifting team, could be excluded from the Tokyo Games.

Around the Rings has learned that the national government has shown its willingness to join the position of the Colombian Federation of that sport (FCLP), which has sent a letter of protest to the members of the Executive Committee of the International Weightlifting Federation.

The International Testing Agency (ITA), in charge of the IWF's anti-doping procedures, has requested that sanctions be imposed on the FCLP for what it considered "numerous anti-doping rule violations".

According to an official statement the case was referred to the IWF Independent Sanctioning Panel after the Anti-Doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport - where the ITA represents the IWF - found on June 10 that Colombian athletes Ana Segura, Yenny Sinisterra and Juan Felipe Arboleda had committed anti-doping rule violations.

As a consequence, the athletes were sanctioned to a period of ineligibility of four years, from February 24, 2020 to February 23, 2023, and the arbitration body did not accept claims that the prohibited substances that were detected came from contaminated meat.

On January 20, 2020, the three athletes tested positive for Boldenone and its metabolite. The athletes alleged that they unknowingly ingested the banned substance when consuming meat while at a training camp in Colombia.

Boldenone has only one permitted veterinary use. It is considered a doping substance which increases performance. Its activity is mainly anabolic

According to IWF rules, if three or more cases of anti-doping rule violations pertain to athletes affiliated with the same federation during a calendar year and/or during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games qualification period, the Independent Panel may impose sanctions such as suspension of the federation in question, imposition of a fine or withdrawal of Olympic berths.

That Sanctioning Panel is also considering suspensions for Romania and Vietnam for similar reasons.

Along with China and the United States. Colombia can occupy eight weightlifters' places, which is a relevant achievement. Many experts consider that behind the Chinese, the Colombians are the most likely to reach the podiums in Tokyo.

In its letter of protest to the IWF, to which ATR has had access, the Colombian Federation demands that what it considers "the right to due process" be respected after the decision to initiate a disciplinary process following the conviction of its three athletes.

The FCLP alleges that it is a violation to initiate a process against a third party when the decisions that motivate it have not been finalized.

"The processes only end when there is no appeal and in this case the athletes have the right to appeal, which they will present in the time contemplated in the law," says the president of the FCLP, William Peña, to ATR.

According to the Colombian executive, the athletes' lawyers have insisted on the speed of the process from the beginning, sending 17 letters, even renouncing the presence of the athletes at the opening of the B sample of the anti-doping control "when due to the circumstances of the pandemic they would have had the perfect alibi to delay the process".

"That is why we are surprised that they want to act now against the clock when they had all the time to do the procedures in a transparent and expeditious manner, respecting all the guarantees conferred by the universal law and the anti-doping norms," commented Peña.

The federation informed that by law the athletes have 21 days to present their appeal, adding that the three athletes are preparing to present a well-argued implementation, collecting scientific evidence in various institutions in the country.

According to Peña, there is a serious problem in Colombiawith the contamination of meat from the use of Boldenone to fatten livestock and ensures that there are numerous athletes in various sports that have tested positive for this banned substance.

The most notorious case was that of the Colombian tennis player Robert Farah, winner of two Grand Slam tournaments in doubles, whose suspension was lifted in February last year by the International Tennis Federation when it was considered that the amount of Boldenone found in the B Sample could not be considered doping. Farah had consumed meat in Cali.

Peña said that in addition to the FCLP being recognized for the social campaign it carries out with children and young people through sport, it is a "clean federation" that in its 76-year history had only had five cases of doping before the problem of these three athletes today.

"However, they are allowing countries with a dark record of more than 100 positive cases to participate in the Olympic Games, with 20 in the last 10 years," he said.

"And they want to take us out in an abusive way.

"If they suspend us, we will go to the international courts," said Peña.

The athletes have the right to appeal the decision before the Court of Arbitration for Sport, according to the ITA, which clarified that it will not make any further comments during the ongoing proceedings.

According to experts' comments, the possible absence of the eight "clean" Colombian weightlifters ready to travel to Tokyo could mean the improvement of Olympic podium expectations for some other countries.

The ITA has been seen as a key player in restoring the credibility of the IWF's anti-doping efforts.

Homepage photo: USA Weightlifting

Written and reported by Miguel Hernandez

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