IWF to propose 10 weight classes for Paris; Jeremy’s category may be axed

NEW DELHI: Battling to survive as an Olympic sport, weightlifting’s world governing body is likely to introduce six new divisions among a total of 10 for the 2024 Paris Games, retaining only four from the Tokyo edition, a move that will see Indian teen sensation Jeremy Lalrinnunga’s current category being removed from the roster.

The proposal needs to be approved by the International Weightlifting Federation’s General Council before being sent to the International Olympic Committee

(IOC) for its nod.

The proposed weight categories for Paris 2024 include five each for males and females. They are 61kg, 73kg, 89kg, 102kg and +102kg for men, and 49kg, 59kg, 71kg, 81kg and +81kg for women.

The ones retained from Tokyo are 49kg and 59kg for women and 61kg and 73kg for men.

The changes, which come a year after the IOC allocated a quota of 120 athletes across all divisions for the Paris Games, highlights the diminishing presence of weightlifting at the sporting extravaganza.

While the 2016 Rio Games had seen participation of 260 athletes across 15 weight categories, the quota was cut came down to 196 in 14 classes in the Tokyo Olympics earlier this year.

“This (10 weight categories) is just a proposal, it will first go to IWF’s general body for approval followed by the IOC. Only then will these categories be confirmed,” Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWLF) president Sahdev Yadav said.

Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Mirabai Chanu remains unaffected as her weight class is proposed to be retained.