IOC Analyzes IWF Steps

(ATR) Despite the favorable reactions to the recent decisions of the International Weightlifting Federation, the International Olympic Committee plans to keep the pressure on.

An IOC spokesperson told Around the Rings on Tuesday that "the IOC will continue to communicate with the IWF to clarify the steps necessary to protect clean athletes and promote significant changes in governance."

The source hinted that an update regarding the IOC's position on the measures adopted by the IWF last Saturday could be announced after the next meeting of the IOC Executive Board.

"We have no further details to share at this time," stated the IOC official.

The next meeting of the IOC Executive Board will be held on March 8, two days before the IOC Session, March 10-12. Both forums will be held virtually due to the current epidemiological situation.

Presumably in the course of this week and before the IOC meeting, the IWF will clarify issues that it left pending after its announcements on February 27.

Now its new Constitution will be approved by Congress before holding new elections and the representatives of the Athletes Commission have the right to vote at IWF Executive Board meetings.

The IWF was responding in this way to a new "great concern" from the IOC that endangered the future of weightlifting within the Olympic Games program.

In its statement last Saturday the IWF said that decisions on the dates and formats of both postponed Congresses, originally to be held in March and April, "will be taken as soon as possible" and "will be communicated in due course".

ATR considers that a new list of candidates would be one of the immediate effects to the latest yellow card shown by the IOC. A new Constitution will bring with it new eligibility criteria.

The process of the draft of the new Constitution, which will be submitted to a "universal" consensus, should establish the mandates, new positions, changes in the number of positions, renewal of positions through the rotating system, age limits and vetoes to the candidates.

This is all part of a series of steps and a timeline that has the IOC awaiting further details amid the IWF's repeated commitment to good governance and transparency.

Written and reported by Miguel Hernandez

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