Weightlifting was not included on the initial list of included sports for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games program, per a Dec. 9, 2021 announcement on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) website. The article stated there will be “a pathway [for weightlifting] to be potentially included in the LA28 Initial Sports Programme at the IOC Session in 2023.”
According to a Dec. 17, 2021 news release by USA Weightlifting (USAW) on behalf of CEO Phil Andrews, International Relations Director Ursula Papandrea, and Board Chair Paula Aranda, the pathway to reentry consists of four conditions provided by the IOC:
IOC Conditions to Include Weightlifting on the Olympic Program
- Stabilization of the IWF governance, which currently delays the transition towards an effective culture change.
- Confirmation there will be no relaxation of the eligibility criteria, or application of said criteria, in the current IWF Constitution.
- No further delays of the IWF elections.
- An Olympic qualification system for Paris 2024 that accounts for the doping history of each nation and available quotas to each.
The IWF Electoral Congress was expected to occur during the 2021 IWF World Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. However, on Nov. 25, 2021, the IWF Elections were postponed because the “proper legal foundations for the planned IWF Elections had not yet been fully compiled.” Per a Dec. 10, 2021 press release, IWF Interim President Dr. Michael Irani expects the IWF elections to take place “by the end of the first semester of 2022.”
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[Related: Weightlifter Lasha Talakhadze (+109KG) Sets Three World Records at 2021 IWF World Championships]
Weightlifting In Paris and Beyond
For the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, weightlifting received the most significant drop in athlete quota of any sport — 76 spots — meaning a total of 120 athletes will compete across five Men’s and five Women’s weight classes versus the 196 athletes who competed at the rescheduled 2020 Tokyo Games.
Per their news release, “USAW, supporting…IWF presidential nominee, Ursula Papandrea, stands ready to work with those across the sport interested in ensuring the sport may participate at our home Games in Los Angeles. Members can be assured of our continued interest and commitment to remaining an Olympic sport.”
Editor’s Note: BarBend is the Official Media Partner of USA Weightlifting. The two organizations maintain editorial independence unless otherwise noted on specific content projects.
Featured Image: USA Weightlifting on Instagram
