Weightlifting’s governing body has cleared the way for 14 North Korean athletes to participate in an upcoming qualifying event for the Paris 2024 Olympics, raising the possibility that the DPRK will soon return to international competition for the first time since the start of the pandemic.

The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) named seven men and seven women from the DPRK on a list of entries for the IWF Grand Prix in Havana published Monday.

Their inclusion confirms that North Korea has indicated its intention to participate in the event scheduled to run from June 8 to 18, even though its