Tarnished weightlifting fights for Olympic survival

0 Comment(s)Print E-mail SHINE, August 16, 2018
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China's Deng Wei wins the women's 63kg weightlifting title at Rio Olympics on August 9, 2016.(Xinhua)

Doping-ravaged weightlifting begins its Asian Games competition on Monday without a banned traditional powerhouse and with the sport's boss warning it would "slowly disappear" if it was to lose Olympic status.


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 their lifters will be in Jakarta.


They are among nine nations currently serving a 12-month International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) ban after their reanalyzed drugs tests from the 2008 and 2012 Olympics returned at least three positives.


Kazakhstan, who were prominent with one gold and three silvers in 2014, are another of the nine banned, while Malaysia have pulled their team because of their own poor doping record. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea have seen three of their four gold-medal winners from Incheon 2014 subsequently banned for failed drugs tests, but remain favorites 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 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 (IOC). 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?" the Romanian-born Hungarian Ajan asked delegates at the IWF congress in Tashkent last month. "I don't give the answer because you know it: weightlifting will slowly disappear."


Ajan appealed to delegates to ensure their nations remained clean, with the IOC due to discuss the matter at its executive meeting in Tokyo from November 30 to December 2.


"Please cut out everything that leads them to bringing their anabolic steroids, their growth hormones or any other things," implored Ajan.


Meanwhile DPRK will try to shake off their own poor doping record to dominate the Jakarta weightlifting medals.


DPRK is sending six men and six women led by pocket rocket Om Yun Chol.


The 2012 Olympic champions Om is just 1.51 metres tall and broke his own men's 56kg world record to win gold in Incheon four years ago, sparking lively celebrations. But the nation's other three gold medallists from Incheon are in disgrace.


Women's 75kg winner Kim Un Ju was banned for two years for steroids just three months after her Incheon win. Her 58kg compatriot and fellow gold medallist Jong Hwa Ri tested positive for anti-asthma drug clenbuterol.


Kim Un Guk, the men's 62kg winner, failed a test for letrozole in 2015 and is banned until December next year. Silver medallists Kim Kwan-Song (men 77kg), Ryo Un-Hui (women 69kg) also serve four-year bans.


Iran look to sweep the men's heavier classes with world-record holders Kianoush Rostami (85kg) and Sohrab Moradi (94kg), and former superheavyweight (+105kg) record holder Behdad Salimkordasiabi all entered.


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