Saturday, 6 February 2021
Why has the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) followed one bad decision with another in recent months, drawing repeated criticism from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) along the way?
Is it weak leadership?
Is it incompetence, negligence or worse?
Or is it maybe the fact that the IWF has been overwhelmed by the sheer weight of work to be done to repair damaged goods?
Perhaps it is a little bit of all of those, but the main motivating factor for a series of questionable decisions by the IWF Executive Board is the strongest one of all: fear.
So many Board members - it could be as many as seven - are making terrible decisions because they are in fear of losing their place in the sport.
IWF finally confirms Romania faces outright ban from Tokyo 2020 weightlifting Tuesday, 2 February 2021
The prospect of Romania being banned outright from weightlifting at Tokyo 2020 has moved a step nearer after two anti-doping rule violations at the London 2012 Olympic Games were formally closed by the International Testing Agency (ITA).
The news means that Romania’s fate is now in the hands of an independent panel which has already banned three nations outright from this year s re-arranged Olympic Games - Thailand, Egypt and Malaysia.
Colombia and Vietnam, both of which have had three doping positives within the Olympic qualifying period, are also liable to suspension, though Colombia is appealing in the case of three athletes who say they ingested boldenone through tainted meat.
Monday, 1 February 2021
The Oceania Weightlifting Federation (OWF) has responded to claims of unethical behaviour by dropping a proposal to involve a candidate for the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) elections in voting procedures at regional level.
One official from Fiji said the Pacific island nations were being treated as performing idiots and, by being required to vote by email, would be denied a secret ballot which is the cornerstone of a fair election .
Another from Samoa said there was a risk of mistrust and questionable practices at a time when we all know about the IOC’s [International Olympic Committee] concerns over issues of questionable governance and transparency .