Weightlifting Doping Fix Termed 'Electroshock'

(ATR) International Weightlifting Federation President Tamas Ajan says steps being taken to fight a serious doping problem should find favor with the IOC.

The federation has been on notice by the IOC Executive Board since June that changes are needed if the sport is to remain on the program of the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Ajan spoke to Around the Ringsshortly after adjourning a general assembly of the national federations on the eve of the 2017 World Championships in Anaheim, California.

With 49 new positives resulting from IOC retesting of weightlifting samples from the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, the sport is second only to athletics in the number of retest positives among the Summer Olympic sports.

"This is very serious warning by the IOC Executive Board, what weightlifting has received," admits Ajan, who has been IWF President since 2000 and secretary general prior.

"What I would like to emphasize -- since 1975, personally I managed the fight against the doping," Ajan tells ATRat the close of the general assembly on Monday.

"Concerning the reanalyzing from Beijing and London, we have many positive cases. And before I accept the warning from the IOC, we created two special commissions," he said.

"We will put this on the table of the IOC. I hope the IOC will be satisfied with this," Ajan continued.

The one-day meeting included 67 of the 192 member federations. The low number reflects the smaller turnout for this championship. Coming a year after the Rio Olympics, this event won’t count towards qualification for 2020. That lowers the need to compete in Anaheim -- thus fewer officials at the IWF assembly.

Also hurting attendance -- nine of the sport’s most important countries are banned from the championships over repeated doping infractions.

The year-long ban includes Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Moldova, Turkey, and Ukraine.

Amid a day of reports on federation activities, Ajan guided a 20-minute presentation of IWF efforts to end the doping that seems to be a constant for the sport.

"Unfortunately a certain region made the problem," Ajan said in reference to eastern Europe or perhaps central Asia.

But he acknowledged as well the need for the entire IWF family to embrace the new anti-doping regime.

"The laboratories they can detect anything," he warned.

"You as the leaders, we have to clean weightlifting. I kindly ask you, help us," said Ajan.

Dr. Patrick Schamasch, who is advising the federation on its response to the IOC warning, said it is like "electroshock" for the IWF. Schamasch, who is a former IOC medical director, says the federation must be unified in the effort to roll back the tide of doping in the sport.

"Cross your fingers. In nine days the fate of our federation will be sealed," said Schamasch about the decision from the IOC Executive Board expected next week in Lausanne.

And while the IWF is optimisitic about the outcome with the IOC, the federation has hedged its bet. This past weekend the IWF executive board confirmed an increase in the cash reserves to $20 million, just in case the IOC suspends weightlifting from the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Written and reported in Anaheim by Ed Hula.

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