Pesi, disbarred former president Vlad: “Many cases of doping covered or tampered with”

Tamas Ajan, former president of the Iwf – the international weightlifting federation – and his deputy, the Romanian Nicu Vlad, Olympic champion in Los Angeles 1984, were banned for life by the Tas of Lausanne, on charges of “tampering with the trial. of doping control and violation of anti-doping rules that have involved more lifters since at least 2012 “. Not only that: in addition to this is the” coverage, delay and obstacle to the management of anti-doping results for some athletes “, violations” whose gravity and period of time during which they were committed “prompted the TAS to see” the radiation as the most appropriate sanction “.

Sad victory

–

A victory for world weightlifting, polluted by 44 years of shady management, but a sad victory, “which comes too late”, comments the president of Fipe, Antonio Urso, who for 12 years denounced the situation. An investigation by the German broadcaster ARD it has put the spotlight on over $ 10 million unaccounted for, dozens of covered positive weightlifters, manipulated urine samples, covered up cases and vote-buying in the last two rounds of elections. “All this had to be done 12 years ago, when it was still possible to make corrections within the international federation, so many athletes and the reputation of a discipline could be saved” says Urso, who has twice attempted to climb to the presidency of the Iwf without success.

Olympics at risk

–

On the head of the discipline now weighs the warning of the IOC: if something does not change, it will leave the scene after Paris 2024. On 25 and 26 June the IWF is called to renew its leadership in Tirana, during the international congress. One of the candidates is Urso: “This is the last step. Either the Iwf decides to revolutionize everything or there will be nothing to do. It is not enough just to change the people or the seats, you have to change the vision, the strategy, otherwise it does not make sense”.