Representatives of the ITA and IWF met in Lausanne ©IWF

International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) director general Attila Adamfi is confident the organisation's cooperation with the International Testing Agency (ITA) will lead to a "cultural change" in the sport.

Representatives from the IWF and ITA met in Lausanne this month to discuss future plans, after they signed an updated agreement earlier this year.

The deal effectively assured weightlifting of its Olympic status at Paris 2024.

The sport's place at the Games had been conditional because of its poor doping record, before the International Olympic Committee ruled weightlifting would keep its Paris 2024 place when it completed the second part of its agreement with the ITA.

The IWF signed its first agreement with the ITA, a new umbrella drugs-testing body which became fully operational last year, in November and it came into force in January.

It mainly focused on the IWF's out-of-competition testing, but also included detailed risk assessment, test distribution planning and management, therapeutic use exemption management and support with regard to IWF education initiatives.

The latest agreement saw the ITA take control of in-competition testing, management of the IWF Athlete Biological Passport programme and result management.

The long-term storage and re-analysis of samples is also being handled by the organisation.

The two bodies held talks at a meeting in Lausanne earlier this month ©IWF
The two bodies held talks at a meeting in Lausanne earlier this month ©IWF

The ITA handled in-competition testing for the 2019 IWF World Championships for the first time, including the collection and analysis of more than 300 samples.

"I highly appreciate ITA's contribution to an unprecedented busy year considering the record number of qualification events," Adamfi said.

"Taking over such a complex anti-doping programme during the qualification period was a great challenge, however ITA's professionalism ensured the smooth and efficient transfer. 

"I am confident that the cooperation of our committed teams will lead to a cultural change to ensure clean sport for future generation of athletes."

ITA director general Benjamin Cohen said the body had "made a meaningful contribution towards ensuring the IWF maintains its position as a leader in the fight against doping as we head into an Olympic year and we are determined to see that this remains the case".

"The IWF family continues to work hard to implement robust reforms in its anti-doping programme, and the discussions held today are encouraging as we continue to work in close cooperation to support and implement the many steps undertaken by IWF to promote a doping-free culture in the sport of weightlifting," Cohen added.