LAUSANNE, Switzerland (Reuters)—The International Olympic Committee (IOC) might give weightlifting the green light for inclusion in the Paris 2024 Olympics once an anti-doping agreement is in place, ending 18 months of uncertainty about the sport’s future in the Games.
The IOC stated in 2017 that weightlifting had to reform its anti-doping processes or risk missing the Paris Olympics after ratings of doping cases in the game within the past decade had tarnished its image and the Olympics.
At the time, the IOC stated that weightlifting had a ‘provisional inclusion’ for Paris, pending far-reaching doping reforms.
But on Tuesday, the Olympic Committee said it was happy with the development in that regard, with an agreement pending between the International Testing Agency (ITA) and the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF).
“The IOC Executive Board reviewed the position and the superb steps in the past 18 months to reinforce the anti-doping program,” IOC spokesman Mark Adams advised a news convention.
“The IOC decided to lift the fame ‘provisional inclusion’ of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games challenge to situations.”
The main circumstance changed into the settlement with the ITA, which must take area quickly.
“This is anticipated to occur in a matter of days,” IOC Sports Director Kit McConnell informed Reuters.
He stated that once that was finished, the provisional tag might be removed, and the sport could be monitored like any other Olympic recreation until the Games in Paris.
As part of some of the changes over the past 18 months, the IWF is efficiently permitting Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Belarus to only two locations for the Tokyo 2020 Games next year.
The new guidelines state that any country with 20 or greater doping violations from 2008 to 2020 will be allowed one guy and one female in the Games.
Among other changes, the IWF has made Olympic qualifying an individual instead of a crew-based machine to increase the testing of prospective Olympic lifters.
Athletes wanting to be in Tokyo will compete six times during the 18-month qualifying period, making it impossible for them to live far from the opposition for lengthy periods, which has happened in the past.
