The 2017 World Weightlifting Championships are headed to Anaheim, California.
Though originally slated to take place in Penang, Malaysia — site of this year’s Youth World Weightlifting Championships — the International Weightlifting Federation’s Executive Board has decided to reallocate the competition to Anaheim.
From a press release published by USA Weightlifting:
The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) Executive Board reallocated the 2017 IWF World Championships to USA Weightlifting. This comes after the original host city, Penang, Malaysia, encountered difficulties and resigned from the organization the event. USA Weightlifting will bring the event to Anaheim, USA.
“We are saddened that Penang will not be able to host the 2017 IWF World Championships. The people of Penang and Malaysia are always so welcoming to our athletes,” IWF President Dr. Tamás Aján said. “We are grateful that Anaheim stepped in to host the world’s biggest weightlifting competition of 2017.”
The 2017 Championships will take place from November 28th to December 5th at the Anaheim Convention Center, within driving distance from international hub Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
USA Weightlifting CEO Phil Andrews reiterated the responsibility and honor that comes with hosting an event of this caliber.
“It is an honor to welcome the 2017 IWF World Championships to the United States,” USA Weightlifting CEO Phil Andrews said. “We thank the IWF Executive Board for their trust in hosting the sport’s biggest event of 2017. We look forward to working with our partners at the IWF and Visit Anaheim to hold a great event for the athletes.”
Earlier this year, USA Weightlifting, the IWF, and the Harris County – Houston Sports Authority were awarded a prestigious SportsTravel Magazine award for the 2015 WWC (Best Amateur Single-Event of the Year).
We’ll have more information soon regarding details of the 2017 World Championships and the impact it could have on USA Weightlifting moving forward.
Featured image: @IWFnet on Instagram
