The 2023 IWF World Weightlifting Championships may be over, but the best Olympic lifters in the United States still have their work cut out for them before the year comes to a close. On Friday, Oct. 6, 2023, USA Weightlifting announced its roster for the upcoming 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile.
The Games’ weightlifting event will take place from Oct. 21 – 24, and USAW has opted to send one of its strongest teams yet.
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Note that the Pan American Games are not a mandatory competition ahead of the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France. Still, the States are bringing the heat to Chile. Here are the five women and four men who will represent the red, white, and blue on the weightlifting platform in Chile this month:
2023 Pan American Games | Team USA Women
- Taylor Wilkins (59KG)
- Meredith Alwine (71KG)
- Shacasia Johnson (81KG)
- Olivia Reeves (81KG)
- Mary Theisen-Lappen (+87KG)
Team USA is bound to make waves in Chile on the women’s side. Wilkins boasts two bronze medals from the Pan American Championships (2021, 2022), which are a distinct weightlifting-only competition.
Alwine boasts three gold medals from the Pan American region and is also the 2021 IWF World Champion in the 71s; however, she is still working her way back to top form after suffering an injury at the 2023 World Championships.
Johnson is a newcomer to the Pan American region and will make her first appearance in the 81-kilogram category at the Games in Chile alongside Olivia Reeves. Reeves typically competes at 71 kilos and won a bronze medal in that class at the World Championships.
Theisen-Lappen, though, is on a hot streak as well — she’s the 2021 and 2023 Pan American champion and recently won a silver medal at Worlds.
2023 Pan American Games | Team USA Men
- Travis Cooper (73KG)
- Brandon Victorian (89KG)
- Morgan McCullough (102KG)
- Keiser Witte (+109KG)
The men competing for the States in Chile are a mix of both international freshmen and tenured veterans. Travis Cooper is one of the most longstanding international competitors in the country, having competed internationally for the U.S. since 2008. Cooper has stood upon the Pan American podium twice and will look to repeat in his first IWF-sanctioned appearance in 2023.
On the other hand, 89-kilogram Brandon Victorian is technically making his IWF debut at this year’s Pan American Games. Victorian has logged one IWF-recognized competition at the XL Manuel Suarez International Tournament in 2022, where he finished third at 81 kilograms. That said, Victorian is the 2023 National Champion at 89 kilos, and he’ll be bringing that momentum forward to Chile.
The men’s roster is rounded out by 102-kilogram Morgan McCullough, who has multiple Youth and Junior Pan American titles to his name but has yet to ascend to the Senior podium in the region.
Kaiser Witte has competed twice in the Pan American region and made the podium twice (bronze in 2019, gold in 2021), but hasn’t competed internationally since 2021.
2023 Pan American Games | Team USA Competition Schedule
Here are the session schedules for all Team USA athletes at the Pan American Games. Note that all times are displayed in EST:
October 21
- Travis Cooper (73KG): 6:00 p.m.
October 22
- Taylor Wilkins (59KG): 11:00 a.m.
- Brandon Victorian (89KG): 2:30 p.m.
- Meredith Alwine (71KG): 6:00 p.m.
October 23
- Olivia Reeves (81KG): 3:00 p.m.
- Shacasia Johnson (81KG): 3:00 p.m.
- Morgan McCullough (102KG): 7:00 p.m.
October 24
- Keiser Witte (+109KG): 3:00 p.m.
- Mary Theisen-Lappen (+87KG): 7:00 p.m.
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Editor’s Note: BarBend is the Official Media Partner of USA Weightlifting. The two organizations maintain editorial independence unless otherwise specified.
Featured Image: William Johnson / @barbellstories
