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Update on the Disciplinary and Ethics Commission

LEADERSHIP CHANGES AT THE
INTERNATIONAL WEIGHTLIFTING FEDERATION

By mutual consent, the IWF Director General Attila Adamfi is moving on from the Federation after 25 years of service. After starting as a volunteer at key IWF events, Mr Adamfi began working for the Federation full time in 2001 as Competition Director, becoming Director General in 2014. 

As part of his remit, Mr Adamfi led the delivery of weightlifting competitions for seven Olympic Games (including preparations for the forthcoming Tokyo 2020) and three Youth Olympic Games. He also managed the successful creation, operations, activities and deliverables of the Sport Programme Commission and independent Clean Sport Commission, whose work was pivotal in the IOC Executive Board’s decision to confirm weightlifting’s place on the programme for Paris 2024. Mr Adamfi also played a key role in establishing gender-balanced bodyweight categories, delivering renewed bidding and hosting processes, and delivering IWF World Championships and other multisport events. 

“I am proud to have had the chance to lead the IWF''s operations as its Director General, including the success of weightlifting at Olympic and Multisport Games.” said Mr Adamfi. 

“Ensuring the sport''s future, including developing an innovative Qualification System – which won the IOC President’s praise - was my most significant achievement. As one of my latest projects, I enjoyed being part of the first ever real online international event, the ''Panam Cup Live by ZKC'', engaging the weightlifting community by providing safe competition opportunity for our most important stakeholders, the athletes. Having had the chance to make weightlifting be a central part of most of my professional life, I am looking forward to putting my transferable skills and experience at the service of new opportunities in sport.”

A new position at the IWF of Chief Executive Officer has been established and will be advertised. Further restructuring and governance changes are also underway. An Electoral Congress expected in March 2021 will see elections for the IWF President, General Secretary, Vice Presidents, Executive Board and Committee member positions. 

“The IWF is grateful to Mr Adamfi for a quarter century of dedicated service to our sport and in particular for his key role in resolving the IOC’s concerns from 2017 to 2019,” said IWF Interim President Ursula Papandrea. "He crossed boundaries working with the Commissions and presenting their recommendations to the Executive Board understanding the needs of the weightlifting community. His role was pivotal in getting the Board not just to agree but to carry through on the decisions.”

IWF Announces Composition of
Independent Disciplinary and Ethics Commission

The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) today announced the independent and highly-qualified members of its Disciplinary and Ethics Commission, marking the latest significant step in the federation’s ongoing process of governance reform.

The Commission comprises five independent members, from five continents.

The members are:

• Chair: Dr. Despina Mavromati – Greece and Switzerland
  • Attorney-at-law and arbitrator (Greece and Switzerland)
  • UEFA Appeals Body Member and former Managing Counsel at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
• Vice Chair: Andrew Minogue – Australia
  • CEO of Pacific Games Council
  • Significant experience working within multi-sport Games
• Secretary: Prof. Dr. Dr. Moni Wekesa - Kenya
  • Member of the World Athletics Disciplinary Tribunal  
  • Highly experienced lawyer and sports medicine specialist
• Member: Yoshihiro Takatori - Japan
  • International Arbitrator (F.C.I.Arb.), Mediator, Attorney-at-law (Japan and New York)
  • Executive Director of Japan Association of Arbitrators, Co-Convener of C.I.Arb., Japan Chapter
• Member: Beatriz Merino - Peru
  • First female Prime Minister of Peru and Latin America
  • Former Senator and Congresswoman, Head of Peru IRS & Customs, National Ombudsman
  • President of the largest private university in Peru; and former Executive of Procter & Gamble Co. Peru and Latin America

The Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary were selected by the Commission members themselves, who are also working on the final version of the terms of reference and working procedures.

IWF Interim President Dr. Michael Irani said:

“The IWF Disciplinary and Ethics Commission has a critical role to play in ensuring that the IWF upholds the highest ethical standards and that any misconduct is thoroughly investigated.”

“We are grateful to have such highly-qualified independent members sit on the Commission. Together they have decades’ worth of experience that will be invaluable in guiding the IWF in the right direction. As we continue to accelerate the necessary governance reforms, the IWF family and our partners can have full confidence in the capability of this Commission to help safeguard weightlifting.”

IWF YOUTH WORLD CUP A SUCCESS

The First IWF Online Youth World Cup has successfully concluded, with an online closing ceremony marking the end of eight days of competition. Hosted by the Peruvian Weightlifting Federation, together with the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) and the Peruvian Institute for Sport, the competition gathered 400 athletes from 60 IWF Member Federations. A total of 60 medals were shared by athletes from 26 IWF Member Federations.

“The pandemic may have made it impossible to host full international competitions in weightlifting for the time being, but that hasn’t stopped the IWF from delivering for the next generation of weightlifters,” said Interim IWF President Dr Michael Irani. “Today’s youth athletes are tomorrow’s world champions and Olympians, and the IWF has been working hard to ensure they will have the opportunity to serve as the foundation of a bright future for our sport.”

The IWF Online Youth World Cup closely replicated in-person competitions, with weightlifters around the world competing in real time against each other. Depending on their location, many weightlifters found themselves competing at challenging times of the day. But all welcomed the opportunity to test themselves against each other. The Peruvian hosts topped the medal table, with traditionally-strong IWF Member Federations being joined in the medals by relative newcomers.

“Wherever they were competing, from national training centres to their back gardens, from local gyms to the streets, the participants in this first IWF Online Youth World Cup all showed great spirit,” continued Interim President Irani. “We know there is no substitute for live competition, as young athletes gain the experience needed to enable them to give their best on the biggest stages.

“Stepping up to the platform to go head-to-head with the world’s best is an irreplaceable experience and I am delighted we were able to provide it thanks to the Peruvian Weightlifting Federation, the Peruvian institute of Sport and a long list of partners and supporters.”

“The pandemic has shown us the importance of embracing new technology to bring people together, and the IWF will continue to embrace these lessons in the future. There are clear benefits in terms of engagement and sustainability, and the IWF will also continue to encourage its Member Federations to provide opportunities to compete online.”

Competition footage can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/user/IWFmedia

IWF Statement Regarding the Reduction of
Weightlifting Quota Places at the
Paris 2024 Olympic Games

IWF Follows Up On Moscow LIMS Data:
Six Sanctions are Imposed and Three more
Anti-Doping Rule Violations Asserted against
Russian Athletes

In October 2017, a whistle-blower provided a copy of the LIMS from the years 2011-15 to the WADA Intelligence and Investigations Department (“WADA I&I). Subsequent investigations involved access to the Moscow Laboratory being granted to WADA I&I, which took forensic copies of the Laboratory Information Management System (“LIMS”) and underlying data.

Following these investigations, the International Testing Agency (“ITA”), on behalf of the IWF, brought forward twelve cases against Russian athletes in 2019 and two additional cases earlier this year. After thorough disciplinary proceedings before the IWF Hearing Panel,  the IWF can now confirm that six Russian athletes were found to have committed anti-doping rule violations (https://www.iwf.net/anti-doping/sanctions/) and have been banned accordingly  based on the data contained in the LIMS and other corroborative evidence. The other eight cases are currently pending either before the IWF Hearing Panel or at various stages of results management.

Furthermore, based in particular on the above-mentioned analytical data, the IWF has decided to assert anti-doping rule violations (https://www.iwf.net/2020/10/08/public-disclosure-182/) against three further Russian athletes. The latter are provisionally suspended. The cases are handled by the ITA on behalf of the IWF.

WADA I&I’s investigations were instrumental in building cases, which resulted in the athletes being charged with anti-doping rule violations.

“The IWF is grateful to WADA I&I, to the ITA, external Legal Counsel and to our staff for their diligence in efficiently prosecuting these athletes for their anti-doping rule violations,” said IWF Interim President Ursula Papandrea. “The decisions are proof that the anti-doping system has become significantly stronger in recent years, notably thanks to WADA’s powers to investigate. The IWF will continue to play its part alongside the ITA and others in doing all it can to protect clean weightlifters and promote clean weightlifting.”