IOC: Weightlifting Shows Progress

(ATR) Weightlifting shows progress, but still isn’t a lock for Paris 2024.

The IOC Executive Board, which put the sport on notice in 2017 based on doping issues, reviewed the latest information provided by the International Weightlifting Federation.

"It was noted that there has been some very, very strong and positive progress made in this regard," Kit McConnell, the IOC director of sport, said following IOC meetings in Tokyo.

He said the board noted the work of the IWF sport program commission, which implemented a qualification system for Tokyo that rewards countries that have had clean weightlifters in the past. It also praised the work of the Independent Clean Sport Commission.

The board reviewed the suspension of nine national federations for up to one year and the implementation of a number of new strict anti-doping policies including the whereabouts requirements that go into effect two months prior to IWF events and three months prior to the world championships.

The status of the sport will be reviewed again early next year at the next Executive Board meeting based on analysis of the samples collected at the recent World Championships and the first steps of the transition of the anti-doping programs and processes from the federation to the Independent Testing Agency.

In other developments, the Executive Board awarded provisional status to federations for lacrosse, sambo and kickboxing.

Written by Karen Rosen in Tokyo

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