Search results for:

Weightlifting Fiji’s Coach off to USA

Weightlifting Fiji's Strength and Conditioning (S&C) Coach Henry Elder Jnr is heading to the University of Delaware, Newark, USA to attend the International Coaching Enrichment Certificate Program (ICECP). Henry was awarded the above scholarship earlier this year by the US Olympic Committee and the University of Delaware in conjunction with FASANOC. The mission of the ICECP is to provide national level coaches and those responsible for the development of the sport national coaching structures in their countries with a practical program orientated towards developing proficiency in the areas of sport sciences, talent identification, athlete development, coaching education, coaching management, grass roots sport development and ethical aspects of coaching at all levels of competition and  across multiple sports. Henry is an integral member of Fiji's coaching team as one of the coaches for the 2016 Oceania Championships and Olympic Qualifying tournament and again at the recent Commonwealth and Oceania Championships in Gold Coast where Weightlifting Fiji produced their best ever results at an international meet. Henry has extensive experience and exposure to a wide range of sports. He started his sporting career in athletics ans was Fiji's S&C coach at the 2007 Rugby World Cup. He coached Eroni Tuivanuavou to smash  the Fiji national Long Jump record at the 2003 South Pacific Games. Henry's project for the scholarship is to design software that monitors athlete training and tracking system. This is specific to weightlifting but can be customized for other sports. Henry will be based in University Delaware and the U.S. Olympic Training Centre in Colorado Springs for his first 3 modules. His final modul in April 2018 will be at the IOC Headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland. Weightlifting Fiji's President, Atma Maharaj said, "We're very pleased to hear that Henry's application for ICECP was accepted. We are a firm believer in capacity building. I believe Henry and Weightlifting Fiji will gain a lot from this training." Mr. Elder, is the third candidate from Weightlifting Fiji to be awarded the scholarship over the past few years. Peni Kaloukocei and Della Shaw have successfully completed this course. Weightlifting Fiji is thankful to the FASANOC, ONOC, USOC, IOC, Olympic Solidarity and University of Delaware for this opportunity. As generally, all Olympic Solidarity projects are reviewed by the IWF. Source: Fiji TV   

IWF reiterates commitment to anti-doping on final day of Executive Board meeting

1 October 2017; Bucharest Romania: The IWF Executive Board (EB) meeting in Bucharest, Romania concluded today with anti-doping remaining top of the agenda as the federation continues to demonstrate its commitment to ensuring weightlifting is a clean sport. During the meeting, the IWF Clean Sport Commission, which is composed of independent experts in the field of anti-doping, presented their interim report to the EB. The Commission aims to identify innovative and pioneering ways to protect clean athletes by making anti-doping testing more accurate, more efficient and more transparent. The Commission is focused on driving forward recommendations in the following fields in order to ensure a level playing field for athletes: Potential changes in the IWF Anti-Doping Policy Anti-Doping Education – shifting the culture through targeted spread of knowledge Sample Collection Analytical innovations Following the presentation, the IWF EB and the IWF Anti-Doping Commission reiterated its commitment to the creation of an Independent Testing Authority. The IWF Sport Programme Commission also presented their scope of work and working plan to the IWF EB for approval. The Commission’s primary focus is to address the weightlifting event programme and allocated athlete-quota for Tokyo 2020. But, it will also look beyond 2020 and identify innovative ways to refresh the event programme to make it more attractive to global audiences. More details from the two Commissions will be released over the coming months. Speaking following the conclusion of the EB meeting, IW President Tamas Ajan said: “This has been a very productive meeting for the IWF and we have been greatly encouraged by the progress that has been made – particularly by the Clean Sport and Sport Programme Commissions. In a very short space of time they have already begun to identify improvements we can make that will protect and benefit our sport. It is important that as a sport we address our issues and that we put the measures in place to ensure our sport is clean today and in the future.” During today’s meeting the IWF EB also appointed Chairs for a number of its Commissions, which are charged with finding ways to ensure the ongoing development and advancement of the sport worldwide. The IWF EB confirmed the following appointments: Athletes’ Commission Chair: Pyrros Dimas / Deputy Chair: Tom Goegebuer Women’s Commission Chair: Ursula Papandrea Disciplinary and Ethics Commission Chair: - Birendra Prasad Baishya Membership Commission Chair: Petr Krol Development and Education Commission Chair: Jose Quinones Marketing Commission Chair: Zhanat Tussupbekov Intercontinental Committee Chair: Dr Tamas Ajan Coaching and Research Committee Chair: Kamal Mahmoud Mahgoub / Deputy Chair: Karoliina Lundahl The final decision of the IWF EB was to award the hosting rights of the 2018 IWF Junior World Championships to Uzbekistan. The Junior World Championships had originally been awarded two years ago to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. In its report submitted to the EB today, the Anti-Doping Commission expressed its willingness and dedication to cooperate with the Independent Testing Authority in the future. The EB unanimously backed this decision thus highlighting the importance of this future

IWF Executive Board upholds decision related to Member Federations which have produced three or more retesting cases

IWF takes latest step in ongoing anti-doping reform to encourage the protection of clean athletes 30 September 2017; Bucharest, Romania: The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) Executive Board (EB) today unanimously decided that Member Federations (MFs) found to have produced three or more Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRV) in the combined re-analysis process of the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games shall be suspended for one year. The MFs which have been identified as such are currently Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine. The IWF EB meeting took place in Bucharest with anti-doping at the very top of the agenda.The Tbilisi Commission which had been appointed by the EB in April had conducted a thorough investigation into the matter and presented its recommendation to the EB today. The EB is now drafting the reasoned decisions which are scheduled to be sent to the MFs and to take effect in mid-October. The IWF is fully committed to protecting clean athletes and is implementing robust anti-doping measures at both international and Member Federation level to address the incidence of doping in the sport. IWF President Tamas Ajan said: “At the IWF we have made it clear that the incidence of doping in some areas is totally unacceptable and that our Members have a responsibility to ensure clean sport in their countries. If they do not fulfil their responsibilities to ensure their lifters are clean then they will lose their right to participate. But we will not turn our backs on them; we will continue to work with them, WADA and their National Anti-Doping Agencies to support their anti-doping activities and help make cultural change. “There is no doubt that the IWF Anti-Doping Programme has advanced enormously since Beijing 2008 and London 2012. The culture of the sport has already changed in many places over the last ten years. But we are committed to doing more and we will do more. Through our Clean Sport Commission we are not just looking at how we overcome current issues but how we can innovate with new testing and anti-doping measures for the benefit of all sport.” Context and timeline of the “Tbilisi Decision” On 22 June 2016 the IWF Executive Board outlined a Policy related to the results of the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 reanalysis, the so called “Tbilisi Decision”: “IWF Executive Board has decided that National Federations (NFs)* confirmed to have produced 3 or more Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRV) in the combined re-analysis process of the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games shall be suspended for 1 year” Before the Olympic Games in Rio, only two of the reanalysis cases were closed by IOC.  The last IOC decisions became final on 28 August 2017. In the meantime, three countries filed appeals with the Court of Arbitration for Sport against the EB's decision of 22 June 2016. CAS rendered its award in March 2017 on which the IWF EB immediately started its follow-up measures. During its meeting of 2 April 2017 in Bangkok, Thailand, the Executive Board outlined the principles of the procedure to be applied in respect of potential breaches of the Policy and decided to appoint a Committee composed of three Members to investigate any potential breach of the Policy and make recommendations to the Executive Board for decision. The Commission conducted a thorough investigation discussed during its meetings of 9 June and 9 September. The outcome was presented to the IWF EB and approved unanimously

Coaching Education Course in Cape Town, South Africa

In the framework of the IWF Development Program a 4-days coaching course was held in Cape Town, South Africa on 13-16 September with 10 participants from 5 African countries (South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Mauritius, Swaziland). Mr. Tamas Feher , former British Head Coach as lecturer gave theoretical and practical sessions on the following topics for all attendees: Basic training methodology Technical teaching of beginner weightlifters (theoretical and practical) Main exercises of weightlifting training (theoretical and practical) Training principles of the weightlifting training Weightlifter’s main conditional abilities Strength development in weightlifting Training planning in weightlifting Preparation of an advanced athlete After the very informative and educational course the participants received certificates at the end of the

WADA provisionally suspends accreditation of Paris Laboratory

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has provisionally suspended the WADA accreditation of the Laboratory of the Agence Française de lutte contre le Dopage (the National Anti-Doping Organization of France) in Châtenay-Malabry, France (Paris Laboratory). This provisional suspension was imposed due to analytical issues self-reported to WADA by the Laboratory. The provisional suspension, which took effect on 24 September 2017, prohibits the Paris Laboratory from carrying out any anti-doping activities, including all analyses of urine and blood samples. The provisional suspension will remain in place pending disciplinary proceedings being carried out by an independent Disciplinary Committee, which will be mandated to make a recommendation to the Chair of the WADA Executive Committee regarding the status of the Laboratory’s WADA accreditation. During the period of the provisional suspension, samples that have not yet been analyzed by the Paris Laboratory; samples currently undergoing a confirmation procedure; and, any samples for which an Adverse Analytical Finding has been reported; must be securely transported to another WADA-accredited laboratory. This is in order to ensure continued high quality sample analysis, which also helps preserve athletes’ confidence in this process and of the wider anti-doping system. According to the International Standard for Laboratories (ISL), WADA is responsible for accrediting and re-accrediting anti-doping laboratories, thereby ensuring that they maintain the highest quality standards. This monitoring process is conducted in conjunction with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assessment by independent national accreditation bodies that are full members of the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation

WADA urges states parties to renew their pledge to clean sport at 6th UNESCO Conference of parties

The World Anti-Doping Agency’s President, Sir Craig Reedie, and Director General, Olivier Niggli, were in Paris, France, this week to take part in the 6th UNESCO Conference of Parties (Conference) that was held on 25 and 26 September. The Conference, which is a statutory session that takes place on a bi-annual basis, addresses challenges on States Parties’ compliance with the provisions of the UNESCO International Convention Against Doping in Sport (Convention). The Convention, which was adopted in 2005, is the legal instrument through which States Parties (governments) formalize their commitment to the World Anti-Doping Code (Code). At 99% global endorsement, the Convention is the second most successful one in the history of UNESCO in terms of the rhythm of ratification post adoption. In his speech that launched day one of the Conference, WADA President, Sir Craig Reedie, thanked UNESCO for its collaboration and urged States Parties to renew their pledge to Clean Sport. “Over the last 15 years, WADA, UNESCO, governments and the sport movement have built a solid global anti-doping system,” said Reedie. “The Code and the Convention are robust and complementary instruments,” he continued. “The Convention focuses on what governments can do; while, the Code, focuses on the Code rules and how they can be enforced. Regardless of our success, we must all do more. WADA is moving forward and States Parties are encouraged to move in the same direction.” Reedie closed his address by saying, “You are all representatives of your respective countries and, in particular, of your athletes. The discussions that you will have over these two days, and the decisions that you take, will shape the future for your athletes. This meeting represents a pivotal opportunity to strengthen the Convention. I would ask you to keep your current and future athletes top of mind during your deliberations. They make us proud every day through their excellence and perseverance…we owe them ‘our best’ in order to protect their right to clean sport.” On day two, under the theme ‘Clean Sport – A Shared Responsibility’, Olivier Niggli reemphasized the importance of increased collaboration between WADA and UNESCO in order  to “demonstrate through our actions that we are coordinated and determined -- along with the broader anti-doping community -- to prevent, deter and detect doping in sport; and, build athlete confidence and trust in the anti-doping system.” In particular, Niggli made an appeal to States Parties that they do more in the areas of education, information sharing and development of a regime of consequences for States Parties; which, were all the subject of adopted resolutions that were put forward by States Parties from Japan, Chile and Denmark respectively. Niggli then took delegates through WADA’s 2017 priorities, which aim to build an Agency that is fit for the future; details of which, can be found in the Agency’s 2016 Annual Report. To close out his presentation, Niggli provided a status update regarding WADA’s independent McLaren Investigation (that revealed institutionalized manipulation of the anti-doping system in Russia); and, progress regarding RUSADA’s Roadmap to Code Compliance. On the latter topic, Niggli was very clear that, “Since November 2015, when RUSADA was first declared non-compliant with the Code, as a result of WADA’s independent Pound Commission, WADA and its partners have been working diligently to rebuild a credible and sustainable anti-doping system in Russia.” Niggli emphasized that “WADA is unwavering in its focus on completion of the Roadmap; and that, Russian authorities know exactly what is needed to get there.” About the Conference The Conference has overall responsibility for implementation of the Convention. Its objectives include: monitoring of compliance with the Convention; examining and adopting amendments to the Convention; and determining how resources of the Fund for the Elimination of Doping in Sport will be used. In addition to States Parties and other Member States of UNESCO, WADA is invited as an advisory organization to the Conference. The International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), the Council of Europe (COE), the Intergovernmental Committee for Physical Education and Sport (CIGEPS) and other intergovernmental sports organizations are also invited as observers. Read Sir Craig Reedie’s full speech here. Source: Maggie Durand WADA Coordinator, Media Relations and