USA Weightlifting voted unanimously this week to approve the use of Rogue Fitness equipment in all USA Weightlifting competitions.
The meeting took place on Monday at the Atlanta Marriott Gateway Hotel, and according to the minutes from the meeting, Rogue is also seeking certification from the International Weightlifting Federation, who advised USA Weightlifting that they “are within (their) jurisdiction to approve Rogue for competition use within the USA.”
There’s no word regarding whether Rogue is any closer to being accepted for use by the IWF, but USA Weightlifting has approved them “with immediate effect, subject to satisfactory calibration tests.”
That means that if the tests are completed in time, Rogue Fitness equipment will be in use at this year’s Nike American Open Series 2 in Miami, which is being held in Miami between July 27 and 30th… and is sponsored by Rogue Fitness.
Even if the IWF decides not to allow the use of Rogue in their competitions, using them in American meets won’t have any impact on qualifications for IWF events.
In a statement published to the USA Weightlifting’s website, the organization’s CEO Phil Andrews said:
The organization has developed an outstanding and progressive relationship with Rogue Fitness over the last few months. The bold step taken to advance them to the most important area of our events speaks about the quality of the provision they make to Olympic Weightlifting.
This is especially timely news given the fact that Rogue became USA Weightlifting’s official equipment manufacturer all the way back in December 2016. At the time, the owner of Rogue Fitness said,
AS AN AMERICAN COMPANY, WE COULDN’T BE HAPPIER THAT OUR AMERICAN-MADE EQUIPMENT WILL BE USED AT THE TOP LEVEL OF WEIGHTLIFTING IN THE UNITED STATES. WE’RE EXCITED TO HELP EQUIP OUR HOME TEAM.
It looks like Rogue Fitness hopes to be recognized on the world stage as manufacturer on par with brands like Eleiko. At this rate, they might achieve that goal.
Editor’s note: BarBend is the Official Media Partner of USA Weightlifting. Beyond article syndication, the two organizations maintain editorial independence.
Featured image via @usa_weightlifting on Instagram.
