OpEd -- Weightlifting Federation Rejects Change

(ATR) The congratulations to Tamas Ajan over his election to a new term as president of the International Weightlifting Federation could fade quickly.

Ajan defeated challenger Antonio Urso, president of the European federation, 86 to 61, at the IWF general assembly in Bangkok, Thailand. The election was a replay of the 2013 vote with Ajan defeating Urso by a similar margin.

The election means Ajan, 79, will serve a fifth term as president. That follows a long stretch as secretary general of the federation, which is headquartered in his hometown of Budapest.

After 40 years with the IWF, Ajan is a beloved figure in the sport, regardless of the issues that confront him. His tenure as president has included a stint as IOC member. He’s now an honorary IOC member.

But under Ajan’s leadership, the IWF has acquired a reputation for doping that could threaten the sport’s place on the Games.

Testing and retesting of weightlifters at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics has so far resulted in 52 positives with 26 involving medal winners, more than any other Olympic sport.

It’s an Olympic record of dubious distinction.

More evidence of the shambles of the IWF anti-doping ethic: of the 19 gold medals awarded at the 2015 World Weightlifting Championships in Houston, eight were stripped for doping. Two years later the IWF has yet to finalize the results and no medals have been reallocated.

Apparently confident of his incumbency, Ajan did not bother with a manifesto of goals and other objectives for a fifth term.

Urso, 55, published a manifesto carrying the theme "It’s Time for Change". Taking the high road, Urso presents a positive vision for the sport that touches on branding, marketing, governance and anti-doping. He steers clear of attacking Ajan, who clearly has a devoted following.

Urso’s manifesto also avoids mention of the elephant in the room -- the possibility of weightlifting being cut from the 2024 Olympics. And while it might not be mentioned in his manifesto, Urso has acknowledged the threat at other times.

In the coming months we’ll find out if the view is shared by the IOC Program Commission. The commission is set to finalize its recommendations for 2024, as is customary seven years ahead of the Games. The Lima IOC Session in September will approve or reject the commission report.

Four years ago, wrestling got the axe over concerns about federation governance. But weightlifting’s sins involving doping as well as governance seem far more onerous.

Questions about IWF finances persist. Ajan receives a $300,000 annual salary. Son-in-law Atilla Admafi is paid $100,000 to serve as director general. Other issues about IWF finances and governance have been raised in a 2013 report from Play the Game. The issues raised remain as unsettled as the 2015 World Championship results.

Among the aberrations for the IWF -- rules that allow national federations with three or more sanctions in a year to avoid suspension by paying a fine. With more than 700 positive tests for weightlifters between 2003 and 2016, this seemingly ill-gotten income to the IWF could be as much as $13 million.

Urso urged in his manifesto that the fines should be used to fight doping in countries where the problems are chronic.

Maybe the one figure that the IOC Program Commission should consider when it reviews the file on weightlifting is $60 million.

That’s the sum of all the money the IOC has dispatched to the IWF since 1992 when federations first started receiving a share of the TV revenues from the Olympics.

$60 million dollars.

Money well-spent?

Deserving of more?

For a federation that sees no need to change?

Four years ago, wrestling was forced to scramble for Olympic survival. An extraordinary campaign saved the sport for 2020, but it is still under scrutiny.

In 2017, the reckoning awaits weightlifting.

Written by Ed Hula.