Today we’re talking to Pedro Meloni, Events & Sponsorships Director at USA Weightlifting. Prior to his role with USA Weightlifting, Pedro was the Weightlifting and Powerlifting Sport Manager for the 2016 Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games. In our conversation, we cover Pedro’s most memorable moments from the 2016 Games, including barely-in-time equipment deliveries and a weightlifting session that triggered international uproar. We also talk about the challenges facing organizations like USA Weightlifting to organize virtual and in-person events during the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Watch excerpts from our conversation below:
On this episode of The BarBend Podcast, host David Tao talks to Pedro Meloni about:
- Pedro’s role with USA Weightlifting and the planning that goes into national weightlifting competitions (2:40)
- What USAW looks for when picking a city for competition (5:18)
- The role of volunteers and local weightlifting clubs in national competition (9:00)
- How Pedro became the lead organizer for weightlifting at the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games (15:30)
- The most harrowing moments from the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games (including a middle-of-the-night equipment delivery) (19:18)
- The men’s superheavyweight session at the Rio Olympics, and the session that almost caused international uproar (23:30)
- Scheduling and managing weightlifting events during a pandemic (28:40)
Relevant links and further reading:
