Life ban for former 'international weightlifting' chief and deputy for doping

Both the former president of the International Weightlifting Federation (WFW) Tamas Ayan and the former vice-president of the federation, Nico Vlad, have been given life bans for covering up violations of the banned sports drug and doping regulations, the World Anti-Doping Agency said today.

Ayan, a Hungarian, denies any wrongdoing, and the World Anti-Doping Agency has accused him and Romanian Vlad of "complicity and covering up" offenses related to the use of doping and banned sports drugs.

The World Anti-Doping Agency said in a statement that the Court of Arbitration for Sport had imposed a life ban on the former officials "to cover up, delay and obstruct the disclosure of results relating to certain athletes who have violated doping regulations."

Before the postponed Tokyo Summer Olympics last year, the World Anti-Doping Agency, an independent body that tests for international federations, took over the IWF's anti-doping programme.

And a German television network reported in 2020 that officials in the International Weightlifting Federation had committed doping-related violations, and these allegations were strengthened after investigations conducted by University Stadium Richard McClaren the following year.

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