Statement by the IOC regarding the situation of the IWF

The IOC takes note of the ARD report. The accusations are very serious and worrying.

Regrettably, the authors of the TV programme have not reported any of the statement the IOC provided to them. At the same time, the IOC wants to clarify that – contrary to what ARD is claiming – it was not in possession of “most of the documents” on which the film is based. This applies to the documents regarding the doping statistics and those regarding the alleged financial irregularities.

Therefore, the IOC would like to outline some facts:

1.The monitoring of International Federations’ compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code is the sole responsibility of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The IOC has full confidence in the WADA procedures to monitor the compliance of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) and expects full clarification of these allegations by the IWF. The IOC will contact WADA in order to keep anyone involved in the alleged infringements of the World Anti-Doping Code away from the Olympic Games.

2.Within the IOC’s authority related to the Olympic Games, it has set up a Disciplinary Commission, chaired by IOC EB Member Denis Oswald, to immediately follow up on the doping confession by Rattikan Gulnoi, an Olympic bronze medallist from London 2012, and her entourage.

3.As far as the Olympic Games are concerned, the IOC recalls the action it has taken recently against the IWF following the unacceptably high number of positive reanalyses at the Olympic Games. You can find the latest statements here and here. 

4.In 2010, the IOC received a complaint against IWF President Tamas Aján concerning alleged financial irregularities within the IWF. The matter was brought before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which ruled at the time that neither the IOC nor the CAS had any jurisdiction to intervene in the internal accounts of an International Federation. The ruling said: “As a consequence, the Panel concludes that there is no link, in the sense of Rule 61.2 of the Olympic Charter, between the Olympic Games and the internal accounts of an International Federation.” Therefore, the IOC had to close the case in 2012. Given the change in the IOC Code of Ethics since then and the fact that the television programme may contain new information, the IOC Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer will ask ARD for all the documentation in its possession in order to properly address it. 

The IOC emphasises that the presumption of innocence prevails with regard to all persons involved.