The president of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), the Hungarian Tamas Ajan, agreed Wednesday evening to resign from his functions for 90 days, until an independent investigation is carried out on the corruption and doping charges brought against him.
The president of the American federation, Ursula Papandrea, must assume these functions until April, indicated the IWF in a communiqué published in Doha, at the end of a 13 hour emergency meeting of its council of administration.
German television channel ARD claimed in a documentary aired in early January that a “culture of corruption” has developed in this Olympic sport. According to her, renowned weightlifters are rarely screened, and doping control officers accept cash to handle urine samples.
The IWF board of directors has appointed independent experts to examine the charges, to act “decisively” and restore the institution’s tarnished reputation, according to a statement.
“These works should be completed within 90 days,” it said.
Aged 81, Ajan has been with the IWF since 1976, of which he was general secretary for 24 years before being president. He said that the ARD charges were “lies”.
According to the chain, until 2017 high-level weightlifters would have been exempt from numerous controls, and some of its controls would have been distorted in exchange for bribes.
The ARD noted documents showing that nearly 4.5 million euros paid to the IWF by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) were transferred to accounts in Switzerland over which Mr. Ajan exercises sole control.
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