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Inzer Responds To Kazmaier
Submitted by jon on April 26, 2006 - 8:14am.
Inzer has issued a statement which addresses the recent comments made by Bill Kazmaier.
IAD representative Amanda C.:
Mr. Kazmaier, IAD representatives are aware of your post. Powerlifting is a great sport and IAD is obliged to defend it and its supporters. IAD is also aware of the recent factual communications with the IPF Executives and that these communicated facts upset you. Your public post contains your opinions as well as inaccurate statements. That lack could be explained by your own admission that you have ignored the great sport of powerlifting for over two decades. One might ask, if the sport was so great “25 years ago” why did you walk away from it and stay away for “25 years”.
Sadly you imply that powerlifting is a joke and not taken seriously by anyone. Many lifters would take exception to that statement. Powerlifting has grown in the past 25 years. The USA has many different federations to choose from. The USA also has a number of unsanctioned meets. Some meets make up their own rules and create their own records. Many see this as a fragmentation of the sport of powerlifting. Yet, the numbers of lifters and the numbers of competitions have increased. On the international scene the IPF has grown to 100 nations. At this same time the WPC is also growing internationally at a rapid rate. Other federations report growth as well.
You blame equipment manufacturers and two individuals for making the sport into “a back yard circus act.” You speak of lifters being ‘threatened”. No member of Inzer Advance Designs has threatened any lifter. Nor has IAD attacked the nerb competition you are promoting or any other powerlifting competitions. IAD maintains close and good relationships with its sponsored endorsers. This fact is easy for everyone to understand. It’s a no brainer.
Nick Busick, a proven prolific meet director, summed it all up in fewer words in his post.
“For years these equipment vendors have assisted in sponsorships. Certainly they are within their right not to endorse a raw competition or a direct competitor not endorsing their product. “This company could list HUNDREDS of such statements from federation heads, meet directors and lifters from a wide variety of federations and competitions.
Mr Kazmaier, you state an opinion against the powerlifting gear manufacturers that you would like others to believe. Since you have been away 25 years we offer you the opinion of the IPF Congress as to one powerlifting gear manufacturer. This is taken from the minutes of the IPF Congress.
“Mr. John Inzer, and his company Inzer Advance Designs, have been the biggest and most consistent sponsor of IPF competitions for many years. Quietly, behind the scenes, Inzer’s company and representative, Mr. Peter Thorne, have acted in many ways to ensure that the organization of some of the contests were successful. At the request of the IPF and meet directors this company has quietly stepped in and possibly saved several IPF world championships.”
This statement is in the IPF minutes, 2001. It was presented to the IPF Congress and APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY by all nations without reservations or exemptions.
You Wrote: “when powerlifting was on the rise and was being considered as an addition to the Olympics.”
Again a statement made without facts. The time you speak of there was a very weak effort for IOC recognition. Little ground work had been done and no preparation had been made.Today things are vastly different and again with the help of all the major “gear manufacturers". Another "gear manufacturer” has donated money to the IPF for its IOC quest. Since 1995 Inzer Advance Designs' International Representative has been to nearly every GAISF (General Assembly of Sports Federations) meeting. The Inzer representative has traveled from Monaco, Singapore, Germany, Colorado Springs and all around the world assisting the IPF in its IOC bid. The efforts on the part of Mr. Inzer and his company have been noted by the IPF Administration any number of times. This was acknowledged when the IPF posted "Inzer Advance Deigns is the premier sponsor of the IOC movement." Our man on the scene and the IPF President have reported that IOC officials have witnessed international competitions. The IOC officials were very favorably impressed with powerlifting. The IOC officials did not view powerlfting as a joke or back yard circus. At this moment, after years of meetings and with the assistance of Inzer Advance Designs powerlifting recognition by the IOC is CLOSER than it has EVER been. It is closer than at the time you refer to 25 plus years go. Today all the IOC filings are completed. The IOC board is in direct contact with the IPF. Powerlifting has met every prerequisite. This is a very expensive, long term and tedious project. This has never been done before. President Wallauch returned from Korea last week with additional positive meetings with IOC officials. The facts contradict your statement. President Norbert Wallauch has written about this and praised Inzer Advance Designs for the company’s contribution that led to the first ever fully completed IOC bid. This project is ongoing. Open communications are maintained with the IOC.
That is the same powerlifting company you seem to be blaming. The bottom line is you have a very negative opinion of the sport and little knowledge of the overall landscape. You are quick to downgrade the sport and then place the blame on the supporters of the sport. We understand you have a personal stake in your meet but it should not lead to denigrating the sport of powerlifting and spreading misleading information.
We believe it is due to the fact you are uninformed as to what is really happening in this sport today, a sport you would have had nothing to do with for 25 years. In your defense, you would not be expected to know about these things after so long an absence.
We hope your professed current involvement with powerlifting will turn into a positive and supporting effect with the sport. We wish you well with your future.
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