Yahoo Sport 
Weightlifting Won't Be In 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles
If you enjoyed watching the high-octane sport of weightlifting in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, you'll be disappointed to find out that the sport is not currently on the International Olympic Committee (IOC)'s list of inclusion for the 2020 Olympic Games.
Set to take place in Los Angeles, California, the XXXIV Olympiad has also excluded boxing and modern pentathlon from the IOC's list of inclusion, citing that the three sports aren't meeting certain criteria, including issues with governance, finance, and corruption.
There is, however, a chance for re-inclusion. Los Angeles 2028's programme will be approved by an IOC session in 2023. The IOC has created a "pathway for boxing, weightlifting and modern pentathlon to be potentially included in the LA28 Initial Sports Programme," reads the statement.
The re-entry of weightlifting into 'LA28' will depend on international federations' willingness and ability to address these areas of improvement before 2023. Specifically, the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) must work "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."
This isn't the first knock for the sport of weightlifting. Last December, the IOC announced that the sport lost 76 spots for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, meaning only 120 athletes will compete across five men's and five women's divisions. With continuing doping allegations and questions of integrity, this is a crucial time for the sport of weightlifting.
You Might Also Like
