The decision by the General Assembly of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to give its executive the power to suspend entire sports in the Olympic program has put the reform forces in the world weightlifting association into a panic.

Evi Simeoni

Sports editor.

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"The simple truth is, we still have a month to save this original and beloved Olympic sport," read a statement from eight national associations, including the United States and Germany. The demand is that all leading figures in sport should resign unconditionally and that a reform constitution should be adopted at the Congress in Doha at the end of the month, which implements all the demands of the IOC.

"We appeal to the leadership of sport to put sport above itself this time," it says. The Australian John Coates, Vice President of the IOC, did not name the IMF in the session, but said there was a world association to which the executive had already given four "very specific recommendations" that had not been followed. Therefore, the IOC executive should have the power to suspend him from the games. The amendment to the charter was passed unanimously on Sunday.

The statement, which is also signed by the federations of Belgium, New Zealand, Greece, the Marshall Islands, Fiji and Samoa, states that the demands will be made on behalf of all athletes who are planning to start at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. The athletes spokeswoman for the IWF, Sarah Davies from Great Britain, is also one of the signatories. She only referred to herself as an “Olympic participant 2020” and not an IMF executive member, which signals that she has already resigned herself.

During the Games there was a meeting of the “old guard” of the IMF with the reformers, at which negotiations were held to soften the eligibility criteria for elections for leadership positions.

Persons previously exposed to doping - also in their national associations - should not be eligible for election.

There should be an age limit and a term limit.

The board members concerned, who are still in office, have so far managed to prevent a two-thirds majority in Congress for the reforms.

In Tokyo there were several members of the IMF executive who had originally been denied accreditation by the IOC.

The Russian Maxim Agapitow had successfully sued the CAS against it.

The IOC has now also put an end to this possibility by amending its charter.