The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) has taken the first step towards giving athletes a meaningful voice in the sport’s future.
Current or recently-retired weightlifters from all parts of the world can put themselves forward for a place on the new Athletes’ Commission, which will play a key role in future decision-making.
The IWF was hoping male and female candidates will come forward from all five continental federations and would like to have 10 on the panel.
“We currently have no ath- letes’ representation on the Executive Board… we must ensure the athlete voice is in the room,” the IWF’s Interim President, Ursula Papandrea said at the start of the year, when discussing governance reform during the corrup- tion scandal that led to the resignation of long-standing president, Tamás Aján.
“An athletes advisory council is something that has been discussed by the IWF Board and now it needs to happen: there’s no reason for it not to exist.”
The IWF had now announced that nominations are open for places on the Athletes’ Commission, which would be up and running within weeks.
For the first term, those selected by the IWF Board will sit on the body from September 1 until the end of the scheduled dates for next year’s postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
The Athletes’ Commission would be “an effective platform where the views of athletes are represented and the voice of athletes can be heard by advising the Executive Board on matters concerning weightlifting athletes,” the IWF said in a statement on the nomination process.