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Florian Sperl is now on the board of the International Weightlifting Federation

2022-06-30T15:09:20.315Z


Florian Sperl is now on the board of the International Weightlifting Federation Created: 06/30/2022Updated: 06/30/2022 17:03 By: Volker Ufertinger Here's to good cooperation: The new boss of the International Weightlifting Federation, the Iraqi Mohammed Jalood (left), with Florian Sperl, now a member of the Executive Board. © Private Florian Sperl has long been fighting for weightlifting to ha


Florian Sperl is now on the board of the International Weightlifting Federation

Created: 06/30/2022Updated: 06/30/2022 17:03

By: Volker Ufertinger

Here's to good cooperation: The new boss of the International Weightlifting Federation, the Iraqi Mohammed Jalood (left), with Florian Sperl, now a member of the Executive Board.

© Private

Florian Sperl has long been fighting for weightlifting to have a future.

Now he has been elected to the board of the International Weightlifting Federation (IMF).

Egling

– Florian Sperl from Neufahrn was elected to the board of the World Weightlifting Federation (IMF) last weekend.

The "Executive Board" is the decisive body in the IWF: It implements decisions and is therefore of great influence on the future of sport.

The 34-year-old, who belongs to the reformist wing, is extremely pleased with the outcome of the two-day congress in Tirana, Albania.

“The management team now consists of 66 percent new faces.

I think we've done our homework.

We are in a spirit of optimism.”

Weightlifting was about to be kicked out of the Olympics

Sperl, local chairman of the Eglinger CSU and president of the Federal Association of German Weightlifters, has fought for many years to ensure that his sport remains Olympic.

That status was in acute jeopardy because doping and corruption were rampant, much like boxing.

After a report by ARD entitled "Der Herr der Heber", broadcast in early 2021, long-time chairman Tamás Aján could not hold out much longer.

He is now banned for life.

The International Olympic Committee demanded comprehensive reforms, a new constitution, new leaders, in short: a fresh start.

The new constitution was a first step

What followed was a hard struggle between the old guard and the reformers.

A congress in the summer of 2021 in Qatar, where a new constitution was adopted, brought the first results.

Among other things, a quota for women and the representation of three athletes on the board were decided there.

"I'm not sure if that's enough," Sperl summed up skeptically at the time.

Now he sounds more optimistic.

"I am confident that the IOC will recognize our efforts."

The new head of the world association is the Iraqi Mohammed Jalood.

Although he was a member of the Ajan regime as Secretary General, Sperl has words of appreciation for him.

"He has a connection to the base and absolutely no airs and graces," he says.

"I am sure that I can work well with him." The construction engineer has great hopes for the American Ursula Pappandrea, who was elected first vice president.

In general, the Allach native thinks it's time to leave the ugly past behind.

"We have to learn from this and look to the future."

In terms of party politics, he will now have to step back

It now remains to be seen how the IOC will assess the Tirana elections.

Does she trust the new team with the required "cultural change"?

Paris 2024 will be weightlifting, that's for sure.

In doing so, the IOC also honored the fact that not a single athlete tested positive at the Tokyo Games last year.

But will the discipline also be part of Los Angeles 2028?

Currently, weightlifting has been removed from the program, but the final decision will not be made until next year.

"The most important thing is that we stick to our consistent anti-doping course," said Sperl.

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In recent months, the Eglinger has flown all over the world to do some convincing and to be present at important competitions, including Tokyo.

"As a board member in a world association, that won't decrease," he suspects.

Therefore, his party-political honorary post will have to be cut back.

He remains on the council.

"But sooner or later I will give up the local chairmanship or my involvement in the district executive committee of the CSU," he says.

In the summer holidays he wants to rearrange himself.

"I have to process all this first."

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Source: merkur

All news articles on 2022-06-30

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