Sport

Weightlifting and boxing risk being dropped from Olympics after scandals

Thomas Bach says sports will have ‘pathways’ for inclusion for 2028 in Los Angeles

IOC president Thomas Bach has warned a number of sports organisations that they must continue to get their houses in order to be part of the programme for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Photograph: Valerie Gache/AFP via Getty Images

Sean Ingle
Thu Dec 9 2021 - 18:27

Weightlifting and boxing are the "two problem childs" of the Olympic movement and they remain at risk of being removed from the 2028 Los Angeles Games programme, the International Olympic Committee president, Thomas Bach, has warned.

Bach expressed his deepest concerns about weightlifting, which has faced significant doping and governance issues, while it was made clear to boxing that it needed to continue making significant reforms following financial problems and the judging scandal at the 2016 Rio Games.

A third sport, modern pentathlon, was also told to replace horse riding with a more inclusive sport if it wanted to be in the LA Games – a decision that followed the shocking scenes at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where the German coach Kim Raisner was sent home for punching a horse.

Meanwhile, skateboarding, surfing and sport climbing are in the list of 28 sports for LA 2028 that have been submitted for approval when the IOC meets in Beijing in February.

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“The proposed inclusion of these youth-focused sports is based on the significant contribution to the overall success of the Olympic Games of Tokyo 2020, their commitment to innovation and the partnership expressed by LA 28,” Bach said. “We are also recognising the deep roots each of these three sports have in LA and in California.”

Bach said that there would be a “pathway” for boxing’s governing body, Aiba, as well as the federations of weightlifting (IWF) and modern pentathlon (UIPM) to be part of the LA Games if the sports make a series of reforms by 2023.

He added: “Aiba must demonstrate that it has successfully addressed the ongoing concerns around its governance, financial transparency and sustainability and the integrity of its refereeing and judging processes.

“The IWF and its future leadership must demonstrate its transition towards compliance and effective change of culture. Furthermore, they must successfully address the historical incidence of doping in the sport and ensure the integrity, robustness and full independence of its anti-doping programme.

“Third, and this is very much different from weightlifting and boxing, the UIPM must finalise its proposal for the replacement of horse riding and for the overall competition performance.

“They must demonstrate a significant reduction in cost and complexity and improvements across the areas of safety, accessibility, universality appeal for youth and general public.”

Soccer has retained its spot on the LA programme but the IOC said it would “continue to monitor the evolution of the international match calendar” following Fifa’s controversial plan to hold the men’s World Cup every two years. – Guardian

Kim RaisnerThomas Bach