USA Weightlifting released another statement in light of President Donald Trumps revised executive order. In late January this year, Trump signed an executive order that suspended entrance into the country from seven different countries including Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Yemen, and Somalia. That order was ultimately blocked by a series of court rulings.
Under the revised executive order signed on March 6th, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen will have their visa processing suspended for 90-days. If the order is prolonged past the 90-day period that it currently states, then it could potentially create issues for weightlifters from these countries who are competing at the World Championships this November in Anaheim, California.
Today, Trump signed a revised version of this order, and USA Weightlifting’s CEO Phil Andrews released a statement in response:
“Sport is universal in its ability to unite the world under the banners of peace and inclusion. The global Weightlifting community is tight-knit and we, as a community, celebrate our ability to meet and compete with athletes from around the globe.
USA Weightlifting maintains our position that politics and sport be separate. We continue to work with our partners at the United States Olympic Committee to determine what impact this action may have beyond the initial 90-day travel restriction. As hosts of the 2017 International Weightlifting Federation World Championships, the United States hopes to welcome athletes from around the world–including those from the six countries mentioned in today’s U.S. Government action.”
We’re still unsure if The United State Olympic Committee (USOC) will release and weigh in again with an updated statement. Below is the previous statement the USOC made when Trump initially made his first executive order.
“We have been specifically asked about the impact that the executive order could have on athletes and officials coming to the United States to compete. Recognizing the extraordinary power of international sport to bring people together in a peaceful celebration of friendship, excellence and respect, the U.S. government has today advised us that it will work with us to ensure that athletes and officials from all countries will have expedited access to the United States in order to participate in international athletic competitions.”
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Editor’s note: BarBend is the Official Media Partner of USA Weightlifting. Beyond article syndication, the two organizations maintain editorial independence.
Featured image from @usa_weightlifting Instagram page.
