In brief
At the World Weightlifting Championships in Ningbo, IWF General Secretary Jose Quinones warned that weightlifting must innovate or it could become obsolete. The federation has already taken steps to clean up through independent testing and zero doping cases in the last two Olympics, and is experimenting with mixed‑team events and new competition formats. Yet plans for public‑space contests and a 2028 schedule remain in development.
The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) General Secretary Jose Quinones warned on the sidelines of the World Weightlifting Championships in Ningbo that the sport risks becoming a “dinosaur” if it does not innovate to attract younger audiences. Quinones told Xinhua that the challenge is to remain competitive and clean while “people who don’t have the same values” pursue other forms of entertainment.
Quinones highlighted the IWF’s reforms to overhaul anti‑doping controls, noting that responsibility for testing was transferred to the independent International Testing Authority and that the federation can no longer control who is tested. "We don’t decide who will be tested; we decide, if it’s a positive case, what the sanction will be. Everything is in third hands," he said.
He added that, in the last two Olympic Games, the IWF achieved zero doping cases. The federation has also increased testing, especially out of competition, and earmarked a fixed share of its international budget for anti‑doping education and seminars.
To rebuild confidence and appeal to youth, Quinones said the IWF is exploring sport‑enhancing innovations. A mixed‑team competition featuring two men and two women was trialed earlier this year, and the organization plans a new international competition schedule for 2028. The federation is also looking into public‑space competitions, a move still under development.
Quinones stressed the need for role models who can attract young people to a clean sport, describing it as essential for “our society, our community, the future of our youth generation.”
