The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) is re-establishing the Anti-Doping Commission (ADC). As first covered by insidethegames, the move comes following the revelations of corruption within the IWF with regards to finances and drug testing by the McLaren report — named for the lead investigator Richard McLaren.
Previously, the members of the ADC were removed, including former ADC chairman Patrick Schamasch. The entirety of the Clean Sport Commission (CSC) was also disbanded. Under the agreement between the IWF and the International Testing Agency (ITA), the nine new members forthcoming will each be vetted by the ITA. The proposals made by the ITA will then be appointed by the IWF — including five independent officials, one of which will be the chairperson. The final four officials will be nominated by IWF member federations, from which the ITA will propose nominations, and final selections will be made by the IWF Executive Board.
Chair of the ITA Valérie Fourneyron:
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[Related: USA Weightlifting CEO Phil Andrews Shares Thoughts on IWF Allegations and ARD Documentary]
The McLaren report investigated allegations made by German broadcaster ARD’s documentary Lord of the Lifters against former IWF President Tamas Aján. The allegations revolved around financial corruption and the cover up of doping violations, specifically saying that Aján had established “autocratic authoritarian leadership” to disable anyone other than himself from “understanding the overall affairs of the IWF.”
Following the revelations of the McLaren report, the IWF shared a press release that stated “a number of key steps have been taken to lay the foundation for future progress.” These re-establishing of the ADC likely comes in part to a statement that newly elected IWF President Ursula Papandrea stated in that press release:
The findings also afford the IWF the opportunity to rebuild and reform the organization. This is not an option but an absolute necessity.
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[Related: BarBend Podcast: Phil Andrews on international weightlifting and the McLaren report]
The necessary changes come amidst an uneasy time for the sport of weightlifting and its inclusion in future Olympic Games — a looming fear that stems from the consistent anti-doping violations.
The IWF has called for nominations from its members in a press release last week to be submitted by Friday, August 14th. According to the IWF, they are “marking a new beginning and reinforcing the governance, independence and overall efficiency of the IWF’s anti-doping efforts.”
Feature image from IWF’s Instagram page: @iwfnet
