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WORLD POWERLIFTING STATEMENT RE USAPL AND RELATED MATTERS
The Powerlifting world has just received news of USAPL’s expulsion from the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF). The IPF expelling it’s most credible member nation is a shock to many, but much less surprising to most in World Powerlifting, who have for years now abstained from involvement in the corruption and incompetence of the IPF. World Powerlifting has since the USAPL expulsion announcement received many queries as to the future of the sport given the factors of a diminished IPF, a liberated USAPL and a growing WADA-compliant World Powerlifting.
Firstly, World Powerlifting points out that USAPL is it’s own organization and brand. We believe that World Powerlifting and USAPL share some common values, especially as to anti-doping. However the organizations have no official connection and World Powerlifting maintains it’s own USA affiliate, World Powerlifting USA and will continue to do so. However what has struck many is that the existing World Powerlifting model of competition already incorporates many of the reforms now commented on as open to USAPL. Those include more rational weight classes, 5 year Masters divisions, a meaningful performance formula, no brand restrictions on apparel, changeable 1kg attempts and so on. Such innovations can be taken up by any and all Powerlifting organizations and the more such positive steps are applied by Powerlifting bodies the more the sport will benefit.
Also World Powerlifting here again draws to the Powerlifting world’s attention the anomalies and injustices which lay in the IPF/WADA system as it is at present. USAPL’s expulsion from the IPF is not the first anti-doping related such exit. The Oceania Powerlifting Federation and Powerlifting Australia were expelled in 2017 due to their exposure of the IPF’s gross distortion of drug test selection and funding so as to protect certain nations, that motivation smoke-screened behind various falsehoods. Further, the IPF has since twice been defeated in Court in Luxemburg, such that the legality of it’s actions are highly questionable and legal action is continuing, yet again this fundamental threat to and failure of the IPF is hidden behind false statements.
Even more alarmingly the WADA system has evolved into an enabler of corruption, most relevantly to Powerlifting via the 2021 WADA Code adoption of a supposed rule that all member nations of a Code Signatory international body can only conduct testing via WADA labs. This has been coupled with the WADA reform that a sport can now have more than one Code Signatory. This year World Powerlifting chose not to apply for this newly possible WADA Code Signatory status for itself as, firstly, that process required initial and ongoing fees of tens of thousands of dollars, while existing Code Signatories, such as the IPF, are virtually exempt from fees. In other words an organization with a corrupt anti-doping system is subsidized by WADA and an organization such as World Powerlifting with a WADA compliant system and a genuine anti-doping culture is effectively locked out of full WADA standing.
World Powerlifting also did not seek Code Signatory status as becoming a Signatory would have rendered it subject to the rule re only WADA testing being allowed in all nations, the very rule that the IPF has used as a pretext to expel USAPL i.e. total testing would be reduced or restricted in World Powerlifting. USAPL’s claim that it has been expelled for “testing too much” is quite true and World Powerlifting would not allow itself to fall into the perverse trap of testing too vigorously and then being punished for doing so. From here World Powerlifting will continue to conduct a WADA compliant anti-doping programme but will also pursue a second, more broadly applicable, level of testing, similar to the current USAPL model. To that end World Powerlifting has now established an arrangement with the Quest Diagnostics laboratory.
In all, World Powerlifting now welcomes the emergence of USAPL as an even more dynamic force in global Powerlifting. Such innovations as the USAPL Pro Series system will only reward our sport’s best competitors, increase exposure for Powerlifting and draw in greater numbers of participants, spectators and sponsors. World Powerlifting looks forward to a brighter future for all in our sport.
