The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) has a new Secretary General and Treasurer. After there had been some fuss about this office last Saturday, because José Quinones had been wrongly declared the winner without a simple majority, the Peruvian now had to admit defeat in the run-off election by only one vote to the Italian Antonio Urso. Thus, in this close head-to-head race yesterday (Thursday), Urso received 64 votes, Quinones 63. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
In Urso, the IWF now has a man in one of the federation’s highest positions who is one of the leading reformers in weightlifting. The Italian had run for president of the IWF in 2013 as well as in 2017, but had finished second both times behind Tamás Aján, who has since been banned for life by the federation.
The former president of the European Weightlifting Federation had then resigned from the IWF board in 2020 out of anger over the way the sport was being run, but now wants to help the federation get back on track to keep weightlifting Olympic and put it back on the program for 2028 in Los Angeles.
And the chances of that happening have probably increased with the election of Urso, The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is likely to welcome the election because Urso, unlike his competitor Quinones, is not part of the IWF’s “old guard.” The Peruvian, meanwhile, is among that “old guard” that the IOC says got weightlifting into this trouble. Nevertheless, Quinones remains on the board of the International Weightlifting Federation – as president of the Pan-American Federation, he is entitled to this position.
“A New Era for the IWF.”
The IWF was also supportive following Urso’s election as Secretary General and Treasurer. Thus, a statement from the International Weightlifting Federation said, “We are sure that he will positively influence the sport in this crucial phase of its history.”
And the new IWF President Mohammed Jalood also congratulated the Italian after his election, saying that his many years of experience combined with his passion for weightlifting would be a great asset to the IWF in the years to come. He said there was much work to be done in the federation, but Jalood was confident that the new leadership would take the IWF to a new level.
New Secretary General Urso, meanwhile, is now looking forward to working with new President Jalood and the entire Executive Council. “This is a new era for the IWF and for the sport of weightlifting.”
