International Weightlifting Federation Adopts Drug Rules

The International Weightlifting Federation has agreed on tough new measures aimed at stamping out drug use and securing the sport’s Olympic future, according to an East German official.

The Communist youth daily Junge Welt quoted federation committee member Werner Neumann today as saying the organization agreed unanimously on spot doping checks in all 131 member countries during training and competitions.

If three lifters of any one country are caught using banned substances in a year, the nation will be barred from competitive sport indefinitely and face other sanctions.

Junge Welt said it is an open secret that more and more people were calling for weightlifting to be removed from the Olympics because of the number of athletes caught using drugs at the Seoul games last year.

“The (federation) has now countered with tougher measures of control and punishment,” it said.

The East German ADN news agency said the federation approved the rules at a meeting last week in Tenerife.