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At the IWF Anti-Doping Seminar held during the IWF Grand Prix – Russian Federation  President’s Cup in Kazan on 20th March 2016, Mr Alexander Gerasimenko, IWF Vice President greeted the participants. He called for a strong support of the IWF Member Federations in the fight against doping and declared zero tolerance to it.

Mr Attila Adamfi, IWF Director General emphasized that the anti-doping activity is  a main priority of the IWF since 1976. The number of doping control tests of the IWF is much higher than in most of the other International Federations. The IWF pays great attention also on the education programme, the present seminar is a good example of this. The representatives of those countries which presented serious doping problems including those countries which reported adverse analytical findings at the 2015 IWF World championships in Houston, USA were asked to attend it.

Prevention is a priority for IWF; the Continental Weightlifting Federations are obliged to hold Anti-Doping seminars with the financial support of the IWF. Unfortunately, sanctions remain for the moment  the last tool to remind the Member Federations of their responsibility to put an end to doping and to protect clean athletes. It can be realised by taking away Olympic quotas, even by not permitting a Member Federation to participate at the Olympic Games, like is the case of Bulgaria.

The main goal is to protect the clean athletes and secure weightlifting status on the Olympic programme.

Mr Yury Nagornykh, Deputy Minister of Sport of the Russian Federation informed about the intention of the Russian Government to strengthen its fight against doping, taking into consideration the great number of recent Adverse Analytical Findings in different sports. It carries out a wide education programme all over the country; its plan is to modify the legislation and make Anti-Doping violation a criminal act.

In his introduction Dr Patrick Schamasch, IWF Anti-Doping Commission Chairman emphasized the necessity of taking urgent steps to stop Anti-Doping Rules violations in weightlifting all over the world, especially in former Eastern block countries where statistics show a high percentage. He gave detailed information on the modification of the WADA Code as of 1st January 2015, the process of the Result Management, the prohibited substances, Athlete’s Biological Passport. The moto of its lecture was ”Enough is Enough !”

Dr Schamasch drew attention to the newly prohibited substance, Meldonium which has been added on the WADA prohibited list since 1st January 2016. The IWF has already reminded its Member Federations on this danger. Thanks to the IWF’s ongoing proactive campaign, so far no Adverse Analytical Findings have been found concerning this substance in weightlifting.

He stressed the responsibility of the MF leaders to spread information on doping issues on a regular basis, among athletes and entourage, as without their support the IWF ADC will not be able to achieve any of the expected results.

The IWF ADC continues its strict control, using among other methods  intelligence and investigation. If the number of the Anti Doping Rules  violations do not decrease in the very next future, stricter sanctions will be needed and immediately enforced. However, he gave priority to prevention and education, taking an active part in the Anti-Doping Seminars worldwide as a lecturer.