Pedro Adrega, who became the IWF's communications director in February, has been appointed interim chief executive until the new role is filled permanently in the coming months.

The appointment was made on Monday (August 7) by the IWF Executive Board, which met online and also adopted a new policy on human rights, created a five-person Commission to deal with any potential "exceptional circumstances" claims by athletes during qualifying for Paris 2024, and approved the participation in the World Championships of neutral athletes from Belarus.

Within a month of the World Championships, scheduled for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from September 4 to 17, the IWF will know whether or not it will be part of the Olympic Games after Paris 2024.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) removed weightlifting from the Los Angeles 2028 schedule in December 2021, after a doping-related corruption scandal and repeated failures of governance by the IWF throughout the previous two years.

Only a "change of culture" within the sport’s governing body would persuade the IOC to consider changing its mind, it said.

Since then the IWF has elected a new leadership and put into effect a number of reforms in anti-doping, athlete representation, licensing of coaches and other new policies.

Another significant move which the IOC expects to see is the adoption of a new Constitution.

That is due to happen in Riyadh next month when member federations gather at the IWF Congress, where they will also be presented with the new strategic plan, the sport's "roadmap for the future" that will shape its direction from 2024 to 2032.

Whether these and other reforms are good enough evidence of "a change of culture" will become clear when, or before, the IOC holds an Executive Board meeting followed by its 141st Session in Mumbai, India, from October 12 to 17.

The overseer of the strategic plan project, in which more than 250 stakeholders have been consulted, is Adrega, who steps up to interim chief executive immediately.

Adrega, who is based in the Olympic capital Lausanne and speaks French, Portuguese, English, Spanish and Greek, spent 22 years at World Aquatics (formerly FINA), the governing body of swimming.

When he started as communications director six months ago, his aim was to raise the profile of weightlifting, and especially its athletes.

In a statement, the IWF said Adrega had "given new dynamics to the communication strategy within the IWF" and highlighted the fact that he was chairing the "roadmap" project.

The statement continued, "On the athletes’ side, and after having approved in recent months an Athlete Gender Identity Policy and appointed a Safeguarding and Integrity Officer, the IWF validated today a Human Rights and Non-Discriminatory Policy, which applies to all participants involved in our International Federation operations.

"The final document was largely inspired by the IOC policy on this important matter."

Under the terms of the new policy, effective immediately, the IWF "commits to respect the human rights of athletes and advance their protection, particularly regarding issues in connection with doping".

The IWF also "places particular emphasis on identifying and addressing differential impacts based on gender and on promoting gender equality and preventing all forms of harassment, including sexual harassment".

Protecting the environment, sustainability, and ensuring the security of everybody involved in competitions are other conditions of the Human Rights Policy, which must be followed by "all IWF entities, and also by its commercial partners, service providers, and organisers of IWF events".

As for Paris qualifying, the new "exceptional circumstances" Commission was created in line with the rules.

Athletes must participate in five qualifying events, two of which are mandatory: the World Championships next month and the World Cup in Thailand next April.

In "exceptional circumstances" for these two events - such as travel restrictions or a serious accident - athletes can apply for exemption provided they do so within five days of the end of the competition.

The Commission, three of whose members will be recommended by the International Testing Agency (ITA), which carries out all anti-doping procedures for the IWF, will decide whether or not "exceptional circumstances are present".

The IWF Board also approved the presence of the Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) delegation for the World Championships.

Twelve athletes, seven support personnel and one technical official, all of whom have a passport from Belarus, have been cleared to take part in Riyadh.

There will be no lifters from Russia in Riyadh. 

The Russian Weightlifting Federation did not sign up to strict conditions imposed by the IWF and has no athletes participating as neutrals in Olympic qualifying.