 "Indian Weightlifter Punam Yadav competes in women's 69kg Weightlifting category during the Commonwealth Games 2018 in Gold Coast. File photo: PTI")
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has approved the International Weightlifting Federation's (IWF's) revised Olympic qualifying system for Tokyo 2020, which now extends the qualifying period to April 30, 2021.
Tokyo Olympics was slated to be held this year, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, it has been postponed to next year.
All results and rankings achieved by weightlifters during the qualifying events held prior to the cessation of qualifying will be retained with no changes to their value.
Following the suspension of qualifying events caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent postponement of Tokyo 2020, the revised qualifying system will allow for a further qualification period, which will run from October 1, 2020, to April 30, 2021.
The replacements for the cancelled events originally scheduled will be held during this period.
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The revised qualification system has been developed around key principles of clean competition and fairness.
"The IWF is deeply conscious of the efforts made by weightlifters and those who support them to pursue their Olympic dreams at Tokyo 2020," IWF Acting President Ursula Papandrea said in an official president.
"Preserving their progress was a vital step for us, as was ensuring a similar range of opportunities to those being provided before the pandemic halted the Olympic Qualification System for weightlifting," Papandrea added.
The criteria whereby weightlifters must participate in at least six competitions throughout the overall period starting November 1, 2018, has been maintained.
The weightlifters had also been required to compete in at least one of the specified competitions during each of the first, second, and third original qualifying periods.
Some weightlifters had already competed in six events, including one in each of the qualifying periods. The third period, however, was brought to a premature end by the Covid-19 pandemic.
As a result, not all weightlifters had the opportunity to fulfill this eligibility requirement.
All weightlifters wishing to participate in Tokyo 2020 will now be required to compete in at least one of the specified competitions between October 1, 2020, and April 30, 2021.
A total of 56 men and 56 women will qualify on the basis of world ranking points collated by the IWF.
A further 35 men and 35 women will qualify on the basis of continental ranking points collated by the IWF.
Three men and three women will be granted host country qualifying status. And four men and four women will receive tripartite commission invitations.
These elements remain unchanged from the Olympic qualifying system that was originally approved.
Tokyo Olympics will now take place from July 23- August 8, 2021.
