Weightlifting, the Olympics and the question: When is a new beginning a new beginning?

Things are not going well for weightlifting and its Olympic status is in jeopardy. The IOC makes the decision. About a sport and its reform efforts – and the question of whether they will be enough.

On a Tuesday at the end of August, a few days before the start of the World Weightlifting Championships in Saudi Arabia (September 3rd – 17th), Florian Sperl deals for a moment with the possibility of failure. “If we fly out”he says in an interview with Sport inside, “Weightlifting is dead.”

Sperl, 35, has been President of the Federal Association of German Weightlifters (BVDG) since the end of 2020, and has also been on the board of directors since June 2022 International Weightlifting Federation. The IWF is the world governing body for weightlifting, a sport that is trying to reform and yet fears its continued existence.

Sperl used to be a weightlifter himself, and he still competes against resistance, but it’s no longer weights or his own body. Sperl says he’s fighting against doping abuse and corruption, and he’s fighting for the sport he loves. He says: “Weightlifting must show that it has learned from the mistakes of the past.”

Corruption, doping cover-up, voter fraud

Weightlifting was included in the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. Sport has written beautiful stories about power, technique and precision. Only that was a long time ago. Lately the stories have been less nice, they’ve been about corruption, doping cover-ups and election fraud.

In January 2020, the ARD documentary “The Lord of the Lifters” uncovered all of this, with Tamás Aján at the center, President of the IWF for 20 years at that point. He stepped back. In the summer of 2022, the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) banned Aján, 84, for life.

The IOC makes demands

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has temporarily removed weightlifting from the program for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Since then, they have been keeping a close eye on what is happening in weightlifting. Whether something is happening.

At the request of Sport inside The IOC says weightlifting needs to demonstrate reforms. The IOC calls for transparency and the avoidance of abuse of power, i.e. a cultural change. The fight against doping abuse also urgently needs to be improved. The IWF had enough time, writes the IOC.

The IOC will meet in Mumbai, India, from October 15th to 17th, when the decision will be made as to whether weightlifting will remain Olympic or not. A recommendation can be expected beforehand, possibly during the World Lifting Championships in Saudi Arabia.

Olympics without weightlifting? “A disaster”

If anyone in Germany knows what the Olympics mean for weightlifting, it’s Jürgen Spieß. Spieß, 39, was an active participant in the Olympic Games three times, he was on the IWF athletes’ commission and he was later vice president of the German association under Florian Sperl.

Participation in the Olympics is of course the goal for many athletes, says Spieß Sport inside. If weightlifting’s Olympic status were to be withdrawn, not only would this goal be lost, but also funding, structures and jobs in the national associations. “That would be a disaster.”

“Have implemented demands”

IMF official Sperl sees it similarly. He just firmly believes that it won’t come to that. He says: “We have implemented the IOC’s demands.” As an example, he cites the outsourcing of all anti-doping measures to the independent International Testing Agency (ITA).

He also talks about an age limit for officials and a limit on terms of office, which is intended to prevent abuse of power like in the Aján era. Of a quota of women on the board of the world association and of athletes, three of whom sit on the board. From working groups that deal with human rights and the question of how weightlifting can become more sustainable. From a team for refugees that competes in the World Cup.

You have initiated some reforms at the IMF. The only question is whether they will be enough to convince the IOC.

A Strategy paper as proof of reform

The leadership of the world association will meet for a congress (September 12th) during the World Cup in Saudi Arabia. The IWF has developed a strategy paper; the board, member associations and the athletes’ commission were involved. The association does not respond to inquiries about the content. According to information from Sport inside it is about the development of sport, for example through new competition formats. But of course it is also a sign to the IOC, the motto: Look, we are doing something.

And yet they are wary of the World Weightlifting Federation. Inquiries from sports inside about the role of Attila Adamfi, for example, remains unanswered. He is the son-in-law of Tamás Aján. When Aján was president, Adamfi was one of the powerful people in the IWF. He still has power today; he sits on the board as one of five vice presidents.

In the special counsel’s report Richard McLaren, who was commissioned to process it after the release of the documentary “The Lord of the Lifters” and Aján’s resignation, Adamfi is linked to election fraud. There was a kind of instruction on his computer as to which candidates should be ticked. You guessed it: Aján won the 2017 election. The name of Mohammed Jalood can also be found on this list; today he is president of the world association.

Adamfi denies all guilt

Adamfi has always denied the allegations. At the end of 2020, he told the website “insidethegames”, he is innocent. The special investigator McLaren is to blame for this. He presented false evidence and forged documents. Adamfi did not provide any evidence for his version.

When asked by Sport inside, Adamfi said he had nothing to add to the “insidethegames” report. He answers one of seven questions. He writes: “I have never been guilty of any wrongdoing.” In general, it was all a long time ago. Wouldn’t we rather talk about the reforms at the IMF?

When you ask Florian Sperl about the role of Adamfi, he first thinks about it. Then he says: “In the run-up to the 2022 election, everyone who wanted to run for the board was examined by an ethics committee. Everyone who sits on the board today was approved by the ethics committee. We have to accept that.”

When is a new beginning a new beginning? They will also ask themselves questions like these at the IOC when it comes to weightlifting. The organization will provide an answer in a few weeks. Until then, the trembling of the weightlifters continues.