Anti-Doping News: USA Powerlifting could quit international federation, after being inform 171 drug suspensions are invalid

United States could quit international powerlifting after being told 171 doping suspensions are "invalid" USA Powerlifting has been effectively been told that 171 of its doping suspensions are invalid and has been ordered to restructure its anti-doping programme by the sport’s global governing body, the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF). As a result the Americans, by far the most successful and profitable nation in powerlifting, who regard themselves as the most committed to a drug-free sport, are considering resigning from the IPF to focus instead on local and national competitions.

A meeting of the USA Powerlifting (USAPL) Board, who are believed to be overwhelmingly opposed to the IPF’s demands, is likely to be held in January or February.

The IPF believes it has no other option but to make the demands of the Americans if it is to continue its long-term efforts to gain official recognition from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

That appears to be their top priority, even if it results in the US no longer being part of international powerlifting.

This year the IPF gained Tier One accreditation from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for the first time, and also earned acceptance into world university sport with the announcement last month of place on the next World University Championships programme.

The IPF wants change in the US because it sees its primary goal as maintaining that Tier One status from WADA, which is important in its long-term efforts to gain official recognition from the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Unless all its Member Federations are compliant with the WADA Code, that IPF status is under threat.

WADA is conducting an investigation into the anti-doping programme in American powerlifting, which features the use of independent, non-accredited individuals and laboratories in order to keep costs manageable.

Many of those 171 American suspensions, imposed within the past four years, resulted from tests carried out in unaccredited laboratories, or were otherwise unacceptable to WADA because samples may have been collected by unaccredited individuals.

The IPF cut its testing pool, apparently on the advice of WADA, to an "affordable" size, focusing on those lifters thought to be most vulnerable to doping.

Now the Americans have been asked to do something similar, cutting right back on testing to focus on elite athletes.

Another complaint by USAPL is the fact that so many nations – about two thirds of the IPF’s 115 members – carry out no tests at all, and many of them do not complete annual anti-doping reports.