Presidents Message - November 1997

The following message appears in the November 1997 issue of Clean Power:

The vote is in, and so is USA Powerlifting! The event that has been characterized by some Nation's delegates as "The Battle of Prague" in now a part of powerlifting history. The eight days starting Nov. 8th in Prague, Czech Republic began with an intense lobbying effort by representatives of both the USPF and USA Powerlifting. Many impromptu and scheduled meetings with the voting delegates of over 30 IPF member nations opened passionate debates on the subject of IPF representation from the USA. While most delegates agreed that problems from the U.S. have historically occupied far too much of the IPF's time and attention; the prospect of ousting a member nation was a difficult concept for many - as the majority of member nations have a single powerlifting federation in their country, unlike the competitive market in America where lifters are free to join any and all federations without penalty. The challenge then was, and is, to prove the merits of USA Powerlifting; the attributes that have made us rise to the dominant position of powerlifting in the USA. More important, we needed to convince the rest of the the powerlifting world that in accepting our membership, the IPF would be gaining an asset, and shedding a liability.

We are very fortunate to have friends from other nations such as Canada, Great Britain, and Denmark to name a few. These fine people stood to help lead the charge for the recognition of USA Powerlifting as the new IPF member nation. Some delegates uncovered issues, particularly with respect to the USPF which were found to be contrary to the mission and purpose of the IPF. While we had learned in our efforts to seek unification with the USPF, that there were negative financial, constitutional and even criminal history issues with the latest USPF administration - for us to debate these would have diluted our main focus, which was to illuminate the strengths and integrity of America's Choice - USA Powerlifting. IPF President Grahame Fong summarized these issues following the lengthy discussion/debate. A secret ballot was then called for, with the result being the expulsion of the USPF by a count of 24 to 8.

When the time on the Agenda for the 1997 IPF Congress came to consider applications for new member nations, Andrea Sortwell and Mike Overdeer stood to present USA Powerlifting to the Congress. Besides pointing out our obvious statistical strengths, it was important to present the integrity found in our organization, along with the respect we hold for our by-laws and the democratic process. Tying our strengths together, USA Powerlifting was presented as a team player which looks forward to working together with the IPF member nations; and hopes to lend its best efforts to the quest of Olympic Sport recognition. After the USA representatives left the room, the IPF Congress voted unanimously to accept USA Powerlifting as it's affiliate member nation from the U.S.A.

Our immediate challenge now is to tackle the learning curve which brings us up to speed with IPF rules and regulations! At the national level, our athlete/members will encounter some immediate changes at the National Championships which are qualifiers for IPF World Championships. These must now conform to IPF rules. Before anyone's stress level rises too rapidly, please be advised that ADFPA (now USA Powerlifting) rules have historically been modeled after IPF rules. While there are some changes/updates that we will be incorporating, several of our top athletes and officials have already demonstrated their ability to quickly adapt at IPF venues.

Following are several areas that we highlight for you as priority changes to be aware of as we start to transition.

1. The women's weight classes will change, beginning with 97, 105 then following our current men's classes up through 198 , and there above is unlimited.
2. The bench press command in the IPF, as you may already be aware, is "START", given at the beginning of the lift when the bar is held motionless at arm's length. There is no press command at the chest, the lifter must demonstrate that the bar stops motionless before pressing upward without the benefit of a command. This could be compared to reaching correct depth in the squat, which is also the athlete's responsibility to demonstrate. The "RACK" command is the same.
3. Attempts will be turned in on cards which are given out at weigh-in. This eliminates any confusion over verbal attempts entered by coaches or athletes.
4. Coaches or athletes who wish to inquire about a referee's signal must ask the jury in the IPF, and a jury member may then consult the platform referee for you.
5. The IPF pre-approves personal equipment such as suits and bench shirts, which must still be inspected at equipment check - however the items must be on the approved list. It is important to note here that denim bench shirts are currently not allowed in the IPF.
6. It is also important to note for athletes qualifying for IPF World Championships that IPF Meets are run in sessions, with usually not more than 2 flights per session. All 3 lifts are contested within each session, and it is a very quick pace for athletes to warm-up and change gear between the 3 lifting events.
7. Deep Squats! It may be that because across most of the rest of the world, Weightlifting, (Olympic lifting) has enjoyed a high level of prominence in the media, and internationally, people are used to seeing athletes recover from those deep front squats - whatever the reason, our power squats need to have convincing depth in the IPF venues.
8. Other minor changes can be easily covered by attending the rules briefing prior to the start of competition, however the above mentioned areas are probably the most obvious.

It's exciting to see the growing IPF commitment to gaining IOC Sport recognition for powerlifting. Moving to bolster last year's decision to implement an international out-of-competition drug testing program, the 1997 IPF Congress allocated some $8,000 US for it's budget to get this program up and running. Other sources of funding to expand this program would help in shaping powerlifting to the Olympic mold. In a dramatic conclusion to the 1997 IPF Congress, Russian Powerlifting President Vladimir Bogatchev addressed the Congress with an invitation for IPF President Grahame Fong to attend the Moscow Games in January, 1998 and to meet there with IOC President Samaranch who will be in attendance. Certainly this meeting will increase the stature of powerlifting for future Olympic consideration.
A new era has begun! An incredible team effort invoking the blood, sweat and tears of many fine people in our sport has come to its successful fruition. The key players and supporting cast members who accomplished the IPF affiliation of USA Powerlifting, have our unreserved and deepest appreciation. With the gratification of success, we should not forget the inglorious history we follow. It is now up to us to lead with the example of honor and integrity from America. By our actions, on and off the platform, we will gain the esteem of the nations, and become a strong team player within the IPF.

To the Future of Powerlifting!

Michael Overdeer
USA Powerlifting President