Court of Arbitration Decision – World Records 2020 Arnold Sports Festival
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 29, 2022
Court of Arbitration Decision – World Records 2020 Arnold Sports Festival
(Anchorage, Alaska) After many delays, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled against USA Powerlifting in our case which argued for the recognition of World Records set at the 2020 Arnold Sports Festival. USA Powerlifting argued that we followed the procedures for sanctioning in the IPF as established and maintained over the history of the Arnold and other non-world events, and that all procedures were followed as established in precedent. The IPF denied these records based on rules never followed previously or since that time as regards these events. Ultimately, the CAS decision cited our lack of timeliness of our pleading to the IPF Court of Appeal as the reason for denying our claim. However, the then IPF Chair of that Court accepted our appeal, and one member offered an opinion. In short, the IPF accepted and ruled on it, later denying it at the Executive level. USA Powerlifting, in supporting our athletes, appealed to the CAS.
This ruling against USA Powerlifting is an injustice to the lifters.
- The IPF claims it was not an IPF meet because it was not placed on their calendar, a job of the IPF Secretary General.
- The Arnold did in fact appear on the NAPF calendar.
- The IPF Secretary General attended the Arnold, refereed at the Arnold and sent in the World Records claim forms into to the IPF.
- The IPF proudly displayed Blaine Sumner’s World Record Squat on their social media.
- The IPF allowed a Cat I referee exam at the Arnold and recognized the promotion of that referee to a Cat I.
The IPF decided after the fact, it was not an IPF meet. There is no logic behind their punishment of the lifters.
As you are also aware, we have been expelled from the IPF in 2021, and the world record decisions, and those regarding drug testing highlight our differences. We believe that sports should be governed by those who are active in the sport, who have a history in it, and who remain connected with athletes, coaches, and the public. In following sporting news, at the IOC level, and down to the international federation level, athletes are excluded, disregarded in lieu of administrators, many of who feel no consequences for unfair decisions, watering down of drug testing, or disregarding athletes concerns. The fact that a glass ceiling exists between athletes and administrators in most sports demonstrates this. The defacto decrease in doping suspension time reflects opinions of attorneys and administrators rather than a consistent application of punishment of cheaters. Examination of suspension times among such organizations as the IPF for use of performance enhancing drugs, frequently now two years rather than four show this blatant disregard.
So, while we lost this case, we fought the case for the right reasons: at the end of the day, we support our athletes. This cannot be said for the IPF and its subservient “Courts” or the Court of Arbitration.
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