NINGBO, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- Weightlifting must find ways to attract younger audiences without compromising its commitment to clean competition, International Weightlifting Federation General Secretary Jose Quinones said, warning that the Olympic sport risks becoming obsolete unless it adapts.
"How can you remain competitive and clean against people who don't have the same values?" Quinones asked in an interview with Xinhua on the sidelines of the World Weightlifting Championships in Ningbo.
The challenge, he said, is particularly acute as traditional Olympic sports struggle to retain younger audiences while newer forms of sporting entertainment gain popularity.
"The people who follow the Olympic sports are getting older, while new sports or physical activities, where doping is not controlled, are only a show with no principles, stepping forward," he said.
"So it's a big fight, how you can still be competitive and clean against people who don't have the same values."
Weightlifting has faced intense scrutiny over its doping record, particularly following the retesting of samples from the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics, which uncovered numerous violations and contributed to a substantial reduction in the sport's Olympic athlete quotas.
Quinones said the IWF had since introduced significant reforms, notably transferring responsibility for doping controls to the independent International Testing Authority.
"We don't decide who will be tested; we decide, if it's a positive case, what the sanction will be. Everything is in third hands. In that way, we cannot control, we cannot hide anything," he said.
The federation has also increased testing, particularly outside competition, while dedicating a fixed proportion of its annual international budget to anti-doping measures, education and seminars.
"In the last two Olympic Games we have zero doping cases," Quinones said.
For Quinones, restoring confidence in weightlifting is about more than protecting the sport's reputation.
"We need role models that can bring this youth to a clean society, through the sport," he said. "We're talking about our society, our community, the future of our youth generation."
Alongside its anti-doping efforts, the IWF is exploring ways to make weightlifting more appealing to younger spectators.
A mixed-team competition featuring two men and two women was trialed earlier this year, while plans are underway to introduce music, DJs and other entertainment elements inspired by sports such as beach volleyball and 3x3 basketball.
"We are following these good examples and doing something that will continue our values and sport roots, but with a new youth approach," Quinones said.
The federation is also considering taking competitions beyond traditional indoor arenas to public squares, city landmarks and shopping malls.
"We don't need a big indoor arena. We can go where the people go, even a commercial mall," he said. "We have to go where the people are; we don't need to be here hiding from the people."
A new international competition format is planned for 2028, following the Los Angeles Olympics, with as many as five invitation-only events annually.
Each event would last two or three days and feature eight to 10 leading athletes in each weight category, potentially competing for prize money.
On the competitive front, Quinones identified China and DPR Korea as the sport's leading powers, predicting that both would be prominent at the Los Angeles Olympics.
"Now we have two neighboring superpowers in Asia and in the world," he said. "DPR Korea has an outstanding team, as does China. Both of these countries will be great actors in LA, as they are here."
He also highlighted Asia's dominance at the recent Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, where weightlifters set 47 world records, including several marks that were broken more than once during the same session.
"Maybe Asia is the strongest continent," Quinones said. "That's a fact."
Quinones praised the organization of the Ningbo World Championships, saying the event had exceeded most of the federation's expectations.
"More than 90% of our expectations have been fulfilled," he said, describing the championships as "the biggest and best-organized event in our history."
"Ningbo has shown us how well you can organize an event," he added, praising the city's sporting infrastructure and saying he would recommend it to other international federations as a host for future competitions.
Despite the progress, Quinones stressed that weightlifting cannot afford to stand still as the sporting landscape continues to evolve.
"Otherwise we are forced, like a dinosaur, in some years," he warned. ■
