Paris (AFP)

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced Monday that it has already investigated a possible system of corruption at the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) to cover numerous doping cases, in the wake of revelations by the German channel ARD.

"WADA can confirm that its independent investigation and intelligence department is aware of these allegations and will continue to investigate possible violations of the World Anti-Doping Code," WADA said in a statement to the media on Monday.

The global agency has wished to make "no further comment" because the investigation is ongoing.

In an investigation broadcast on Sunday, the ARD chain claims that doping practices have been covered for years at the IWF, under the leadership of its indestructible president, the Hungarian Tamas Ajan, who has been in office since 2000.

Until 2017, top-level weightlifters were not tested regularly, and doping control officers were offered money to manipulate samples, accuses film of ARD journalist Hajo Seppelt, originally the first revelations about the scandal of widespread doping in Russia. The survey aims including the Hungarian anti-doping agency (HUNADO), which on Monday rejected the charges.

In a secret recording broadcast during the film, the Thai weightlifter Rattikan Gulnoi, ranked fourth at the London 2012 Olympics (category - 58 kg), then bronze medalist after the disqualification for doping of an athlete on the podium, reveals a widespread doping in his sport and his country, even in juniors.

WADA considers the information "new" and "very disturbing" and promises "follow-up" to "get a clearer picture of the situation", assuring that action will be taken "if violations of the code by individuals or anti-doping organizations are established ".

The multiplication of doping cases in weightlifting in Thailand has already led this country to give up participating in the Worlds-2019, however organized on its soil, in Pattaya, as well as in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, said the IWF on Monday in a statement.

Weightlifting is one of the Olympic sports most exposed to doping, in particular to anabolic steroids. After a campaign of reanalysis of samples, a third of the titles and medals of the Olympic Games in Beijing-2008 and London-2012 were affected by doping cases.

In 2017, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had placed the sport under surveillance, but decided in spring 2019 to hold the Olympics in Paris-2024.

© 2020 AFP