Willian Ozuna, President of the Dominican Republic Weightlifting Federation and former President of the Pan American Weightlifting Federation (PAWF), met Bach during the International Olympic Committee (IOC) chief's tour of Central America and the Caribbean this week.

Bach's busy agenda included a visit to the elite sports centre in Santo Domingo, the Dominican capital, where he met athletes and officials from the five sports in which the country has won Olympic medals - athletics, boxing, taekwondo, baseball and weightlifting.

"In the weightlifting pavilion, Thomas Bach highlighted the great work of our sport in the continent, which was demonstrated in Tokyo 2020, and said that he hopes we will improve on the results for Paris 2024," said Ozuna.

"At the same time, he remarked on the solidarity and support given by our nation to the Haitian weightlifters, who are here in constant training."

Neighbouring Haiti has been devastated by earthquakes and the Dominican Republic’s effort in sport "shows the Olympic philosophy of solidarity, friendship and brotherhood between nations", according to Ozuna.

The Dominican Republic’s first weightlifting medals were won in Tokyo by Zacarias Bonnat in the men’s 81kg and, three days later, Crismery Santana in the women’s 87kg.

Santana and another Olympian, Beatriz Piron, shared a few words with Bach during his tour of the training facilities.

Nations affiliated to the PAWF won a record 11 medals at the delayed Tokyo Games in July and August 2021, including gold for Neisi Dajomes of Ecuador and Maude Charron of Canada.

That was by far the best effort by Pan American weightlifters this century.

They took 26 per cent of the medals, comparted with rates of 4.5 per cent to 15.5 per cent in other Olympic Games since Sydney 2000, when women were added to the weightlifting programme for the first time.

Another sign of growth is the high number of weightlifters from Pan American nations at the IWF World Youth Championships in Albania starting on March 25: Mexico, Venezuela and the United States have collectively entered more than 50 athletes.

Ozuna said weightlifting was "among the best accepted sports in the country" because it is one of the five to have produced Olympic medallists.

Santo Domingo will host the Central American and Caribbean Games in 2026, and Bach attended the official opening of the Centro Caribe Sports headquarters.

The Chilean Neven Ilic, Panam Sports President and an IOC member, accompanied Bach as he met other sporting dignitaries like Luis Mejia Oviedo, Dominican Republic IOC Member and the President of the country, Luis Abinader.