Mirabai Chanu’s Golden Dream Hits Roadblock As Weightlifting Could Lose Place at 2024 Paris Olympics

New Delhi: With the growing possibility of weightlifting losing its place at the 2024 Paris Olympics because of long-term doping problems, Tokyo Olympic Silver medallist Mirabai Chanu’s hope of converting her silver into gold at the Paris Olympics lies in limbo with the final decision yet to be made. “I am in my best shape, so Paris 2024 is my target and I would like to leave Paris with gold in hand. As mentioned previously, I am focussed on my nutrition intake and training regime to ensure that I remain a champion all the way,” the recently turned 27-year-old weightlifter from Imphal told Times of India after returning from Tokyo.

The IOC has given itself more power to remove sports from the Olympic program. The decision voted in by International Olympic Committee members comes during prolonged issues with the leadership of weightlifting and boxing.

The IOC can now remove a sport if its governing body does not comply with a decision made by the Olympic body’s executive board or if it “acts in a manner likely to tarnish the reputation of the Olympic movement.” Weightlifting could lose its place at the 2024 Paris Olympics because of long-term doping problems and governance issues. The International Weightlifting Federation was led for two decades until last year by longtime IOC member Tamas Ajan.

Boxing at the Tokyo Games was taken out of the International Boxing Association’s control in 2019 after doubts about the integrity of Olympic bouts and IOC concerns about its presidential elections. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Sunday has unanimously approved the charter changes that in turn could lead to the end of weightlifting’s long association with the Olympic Games. After a series of doping and corruption scandals, it is learnt that the IOC had warned the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) to make the necessary reforms last year.

(With PTI inputs)