Monday, October 2 2017 13:05

ArmInfo. Due to the disqualification of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), Armenian weightlifters will not be able to participate in the World Championship scheduled for the end of November in the American Anaheim. 

On September 30, the International Weightlifting Federation  disqualified ten national federations for a year on doping charges:  Armenia, Russia, Kazakhstan, China, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Turkey,  Ukraine, Moldova and Bulgaria.

Given that at least a few of these countries have powerful teams, the  World Cup in the United States in fact lost its meaning, as its  favorites are now athletes from the DPRK. Seven representatives of  this country, five women and two men, after excommunication of  competitors became the leaders of ratings in their weight categories.

Note that the athletes will not be able to participate in the  European Championship-2018, which in March next year should be taken  by Turkey. However, the IWF is forced to demonstrate rigidity in the  fight against doping, otherwise weightlifting can lose its status as  an Olympic sport altogether.

IWF sanctions were a response to the results of the re-examination of  samples taken from weightlifters at the 2008 and 2012 Games. More  than 50 of them gave a positive result (in nine cases, Russian  athletes were involved). This is the second indicator after  athletics. Earlier, the International Olympic Committee warned the  IWF that if the federation does not restore order with anti-doping  supervision, the Olympics of 2024 will be held without weightlifters.