IWF welcomes IOC Executive Board recommendation on weightlifting in the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028
The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) welcomes today’s recommendation that weightlifting be confirmed on the programme of the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028.
The proposal, made by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Olympic Programme Commission and approved by the IOC Executive Board, will be final if it is ratified by a vote of the IOC Session taking place in Mumbai, India on Monday, October 16, 2023.
It follows many months of productive dialogue between the IWF and IOC teams, during which the IWF has had an opportunity to present the wide-ranging governance reform and significantly reinforced clean sport programmes being implemented following the election of a new IWF President and Executive Board in June 2022.
IWF President Mohammed Jalood
IWF President Mohammed Jalood said: “We are encouraged by this crucial step forward in our efforts to secure the dreams of millions of young weightlifters around the world.
“On behalf of those athletes, and everyone throughout the global weightlifting family, we wish to extend our thanks to the IOC’s Olympic Programme Commission, its Sport Department and Executive Board for the fair and rigorous process undertaken – and for their guidance in helping us shape a new future for our sport.
“Today’s recommendation, subject to the approval of the IOC Session, is testament to the wide-ranging programme of governance reform undertaken by the new IWF Executive Board since our election last year. It recognises, too, the great spirit of unity and openness to change throughout the IWF’s 194 national member federations and five continental federations, who are crucial to the progress we are making.
Cyrille Tchatchet, from the Olympic Refugee Team, at the Toyko 2020 Games
“The work to deliver a stronger, healthier, more athlete-centred modern sport will continue according to the roadmap set out by our new IWF Strategic Plan – the product of the broadest-ever consultation in the history of weightlifting.
“It is fitting that this recommendation should come as we embark on the implementation phase of our new strategy and on the heels of an IWF World Championships which once again highlighted the exceptional universality of our sport and its most youthful talent.
“It is with the interests of those athletes at heart that we look towards Monday’s vote of the IOC Session with renewed optimism and determination.”
