It is not necessarily going to get it though.

Next Monday, the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) holds its elections for various committees, the Executive Board, vice-presidents and, most important, President.

There are a record seven candidates for IWF President and as one delegate pointed out, the campaigning has been “brutal”. Whoever wins – it will probably be either the Hungarian Tamas Aján, for a fifth time, or the Italian Antonio Urso – there will be wounds to heal afterwards.

Urso has been scathing in his criticism of Aján’s regime in his campaign documents and talks of “people who use weightlifting as a means for personal gain and cheating along the way to attain this”.

On the other hand, Aján says: “This is not a war – certain candidates see it that way.”

At the last election in Moscow four years ago, Aján beat Urso by 80 votes to 55. This time it could be closer, but one of the two seems likely to win despite the presence of rivals from Romania, Qatar, Iran, China and the Philippines.

Speaking to candidates and delegates in all parts of the world over, the past fortnight it has become clear that unity, above all, is what people want.

Unity is the main priority for presidential candidate Nicu Vlad, the popular Romanian who won a gold medal at the 1984 Olympic Games. It is mentioned in his second campaign pledge by Yousef Al-Mana from Qatar. while the Iranian Ali Moradi talks of the importance of “solidarity and democracy”. Vlad looks around the world and sees splits in South America, Europe and Asia.

Over in the United States, Phil Andrews, chief executive of USA Weightlifting, said: "To achieve the outcomes we all desire, such as retaining our Olympic Games status, increased participation and marketing, tackling doping and increased financial support, we must put our disagreements aside, unite in our goals regardless of our internal disagreements."

Aján, 78, has been general secretary (1976-2000) or President (2000-2017) for 41 years and says he has the energy and vitality to lead the sport for another four years.

For 33 of those years, one of his strongest allies has been Paul Coffa, general secretary of the Oceania Weightlifting Federation. 

But Coffa, an Australian who has been involved in weightlifting for more than 50 years, wants change and has said so in the strongest possible terms in an open letter to all delegates.

Coffa says that at the 2013 election he “persuaded 25 voting delegates to support the President [Aján]. Everybody is aware of this. And the President defeated Dr Antonio Urso.”

This time, he is supporting Urso, 55, who has plenty of ideas about how he wants to take the sport forward.

“It’s time to change,” says Coffa. “In the last four years the shocking publicity surrounding the drug cheating was well deserved and has been catastrophic for our sport.

“The image and the culture of the sport has to be changed.

“I have respected and still today respect the President at the highest level for his lifetime contribution to the sport. But the time has come when he needs to release the reigns to a new generation of leaders. It is better to move on with grace and retain that well earned respect, than be defeated.”

If Coffa can persuade 25 delegates to follow his advice this time, Urso will have a very good chance. But Aján knows how to win elections and has shown no signs of stepping aside.

He remains positive about weightlifting, plays up his status as a long-standing influential figure in the International Olympic Committee and at the World Anti-Doping Agency, and says he still has much to offer.

"I have a lot of ideas and projects that I could and would like to realise, for instance in management, governance, and financial support to the sport,” Aján says.

"There are many opportunities for development, for example in the World Cup or Grand Prix series.”

As if on cue he has just signed a three-year deal with Lagardere to be host broadcaster for the next three IWF World Championships and “to reimagine the IWF Grand Prix” - a series of high-level events throughout the year.

Aján says this will give "more visibility to the sport and competing athletes". 

"We are dedicated to reach these long-term goals with joint efforts," he said.

If Urso wins, Aján’s supporters will be wary of change. If Aján wins, Urso’s group will become even more entrenched in their opposition. If anybody else wins, there could be any number of factions warring against each other.

Among Al-Mana’s Presidential campaign objectives is this one: To spread human values of love, brotherhood, solidarity and peace among the nations.

Good luck with that.