Weightlifting, boxing under review as IOC gets more power to remove sports

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The International Olympic Committee (IOC)gave itself more power on Sunday to remove sports from the Olympic program.

The IOC voted in the new powers amid prolonged issues with the leadership of weightlifting and boxing. Both sports already had their quota of athletes cut for the 2024 Paris Olympics and weightlifting could be dropped entirely.

The Olympic Charter was amended so the full IOC membership can remove a sport if its governing body does not comply with a decision made by the IOC executive board or if it "acts in a manner likely to tarnish the reputation of the Olympic movement." The IOC widened its authority by adding a "but not limited to" clause that goes beyond the stated reasons for removing a sport.

The executive board, which is chaired by IOC president Thomas Bach, also got new powers to suspend a sport or event discipline from the Olympics if its governing body refuses to comply with a decision.

"In the recent past, the IOC has been confronted with situations raising serious concerns regarding the governance of certain international federations," IOC vice-president John Coates said at the end-of-Games meeting. Weightlifting is most at risk of being cut from the Paris Olympics because of long-term doping cases and governance issues, including financial corruption.

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