The 2024 USA Weightlifting (USAW) North American Open Series 1 (NAOS1) and 2024 National University Championships (NUC) will be featured at the 2024 Arnold Sports Festival (ASF) on Feb. 29 through March 3, 2024, at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, OH. This will be the fourth time the NAOS1 and NUC will be held together.
Per USAW, the athlete quota will substantially increase in 2024 to “950 athletes…across three platforms.” Additionally, 350 athletes will compete in the 2024 NUC on two platforms. Those are the respective athlete caps for each contest.
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Registration
Athletes who wish to register for either the 2024 NAOS1 can do so via “pre-sale and two waves.” Notably, those will not apply to the 2024 NUC.
Team USA athletes in 2022 and 2023 will have access, via invitation, to the 2024 NAOS1 pre-sale from Oct. 15-31, 2023. This is intended to support international qualification opportunities. Pre-sale registration will be fully refundable through February 1, 2024.
Waves One & Two
Wave One registration will be available on Nov. 1, 2023, to athletes who have a valid qualifying total of at least 135 percent of the published NAOS qualifying totals. Wave Two begins on Dec. 1, 2024, for all athletes with a valid qualifying total.
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NAOS1 registration closes when the registration cap is reached or on Feb. 15, 2024, whichever comes first. All age groups and bodyweight division athletes with “appropriate qualifying totals” will have access to their respective registration wave. 2024 NUC registration runs from Nov. 1, 2023, to Feb. 15, 2024. The qualification period for totals spans one year from Feb. 15, 2023, to Feb. 15, 2024.
Junior Category Debuts
The 2024 NAOS1 will include the debut of the Junior category, offering Junior athletes the capacity to qualify directly for the North American Open Finals (NAOF) via their Sinclair — a mathematical equation that can compare lifters across age groups and weight classes. The top three male lifters and top three female lifers lock their spots in the 2024 NAOF (scheduling details to be announced by USAW at a later date).
Editor’s Note: BarBend is the Official Media Partner of USA Weightlifting. The two organizations maintain editorial independence unless otherwise noted on specific content projects.
Featured image: @usa_weightlifting on Instagram
