Dope-tainted weightlifting fights for Olympic survival

No fewer than 12 world records were broken at an explosive 2014 Asiad in Incheon, but now, the sport needs to prove it can comply with world anti-doping standards to lift the threat of Olympic expulsion. China dominated four years ago with seven golds, five silvers and two bronzes, but none of its lifters will be in Jakarta. It is among nine nations, currently, serving a 12-month International Weightlifting Federation ban after its reanalysed drugs tests from the 2008 and 2012 Olympics returned at least three positives.

Kazakhstan, which was prominent with a gold and three silvers in 2014, is another of the nine banned, while Malaysia has pulled its team because of its own poor doping record. North Korea has seen three of its four gold-medal winners from Incheon 2014 subsequently banned for failed drugs tests, but remains favourite to top the medal count in China’s absence.

Weightlifting is assured of its place at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, but the drugs-tarnished sport is attempting a cultural change to prevent it being dropped from the programme for Paris 2024. IWF president Tamas Ajan issued a stern warning last month that the sport would fall off the map if it were to lose its Olympic status.

The IWF delivered a report in June detailing how it had met anti-doping requirements demanded by the International Olympic Committee. However, the IOC decided to leave to sport on probation until after the Asian Games and November’s World Championships.

“I have a question: what will happen with weightlifting if it is not on the (Olympic) programme? I don’t give the answer because you know it: weightlifting will slowly disappear,” the Romanian-born Hungarian Ajan asked delegates at the IWF Congress in Tashkent last month.

Ajan appealed to delegates to ensure their nations remained squeaky clean, with the IOC due to discuss the matter again at its executive meeting in Tokyo from November 30 to December 2. “Please cut out everything that leads them to bring their anabolic steroids, their growth hormones or any other things. Don’t use anything,” implored Ajan.

Meanwhile, North Korea will try to shake off its own poor doping record to dominate the Jakarta weightlifting medals. The competition sees eight men’s and seven women’s weight divisions with the combined weight for the two lifting disciplines — snatch and clean and jerk — deciding the placings.

North Korea is sending six men and six women led by pocket rocket Om Yun Chol. Iran is likely to sweep the men’s heavier classes with world-record holders Kianoush Rostami (85kg) and Sohrab Moradi (94kg), and Behdad Salimkordasiabi (+105kg) all in.