Triathlon has become the latest sport to suspend its membership of SportAccord ©ITU

Triathlon has become the ninth sport to suspend its membership of SportAccord, insidethegames has been told.

The decision, confirmed by International Triathlon Union (ITU) director general Antonio Arimany following an Executive Board meeting of the governing body, means the sport joins athletics, shooting, canoeing, archery, boxing, taekwondo, wrestling and bobsleigh in making such a move.

"Following the ASOIF decision to suspend their membership from SportAccord, and after discussions held during the ASOIF (Association of Summer Olympic International Federations) General Assembly, the ITU Executive Board, voted unanimously to immediately suspend our membership from SportAccord at its meeting on 15 May, 2015," an ITU spokesperson has told insidethegames.

"We looking forward to seeing this issue resolved in the near future in the best interest of sport."

©Getty Images
IOC member and ITU President Marisol Casado has become the latest International Federation President to break away from SportAccord ©Getty Images

Triathlon's decision follows the fierce criticism launched by SportAccord President Marius Vizer about the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and its President Thomas Bach at last month's SportAccord General Assembly in Sochi.

Vizer, who also leads the International Judo Federation (IJF), alleged the IOC "lacked transparency", that its Agenda 2020 reform process had brought "hardly any benefit" to sport and that it had unfairly blocked SportAccord in its drive to organise new Commissions and multi-sport events.

In addition to the nine suspensions, every Summer body except for the IJF has also signed a letter supporting the decision of ASOIF to "disassociate" its affiliation with SportAccord, while both the International Paralympic Committee and the Commonwealth Games Federation have made a similar move.

Both boxing and taekwondo have also withdrawn from the SportAccord-organised World Combat Games, due to next take place in Lima in 2017, while United World Wrestling President Nenad Lalovic has said his sport will not participate in any SportAccord event until relations have improved.


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