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The sport, rocked by revelations of doping
cover-ups and decades of corruption, was warned by the IOC in
June that it risks losing its place at the Paris 2024 Olympics
and future Games.
"The IOC is very worried to learn about the reported decision
made by the board of the International Weightlifting Federation
(IWF) to replace the acting president, Ms Ursula Garza Papandrea,
the way the decision was taken and the chosen replacement," the
IOC said in a statement.
"The IOC enjoyed excellent cooperation with her during her time
in office, and is fully supportive of the reforms she has
initiated in the IWF."
The IOC said its executive board, which has stressed the
importance of continuing reforms, would take the development
into consideration.
The website www.insidethegames.biz http://www.insidethegames.com
said Papandrea, an American coach and former international
lifter, was ousted at an emergency virtual meeting on Tuesday
and replaced by Thailand's Intarat Yodbangtoey.
Thai weightlifters were banned in April from the Tokyo Olympics,
which have been postponed to 2021, due to a high number of
doping cases.
The IWF board elected Papandrea in January after 81-year-old
president Tamas Ajan, a Hungarian, resigned during a corruption
probe. Ajan had been at the IWF for 44 years as general
secretary and president.
Richard McLaren, the Canadian law professor whose findings in
July 2016 led to Russia being banned from all international
athletic competitions, including the Rio Olympics, told
reporters in June that the IWF was rife with corruption.
This included vote buying, doping cover-ups and $10.4 million in
cash that cannot be accounted for. Ajan denied any wrongdoing.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Toby Davis)
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