On March 16, 2021, USA Weightlifting (USAW) named the athletes who would represent the USA at the 2020 Pan American Championships.
This gold-level qualifying event for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games was originally postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic but has since been rescheduled for April 18 -25 , 2021 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Due to maintaining its gold-level qualifying status, it could be the event that ultimately determines who will be a part of Team USA competing in Tokyo on July 23 through August 8, 2021
Here is who will be competing for USAW at the 2020 Pan American Championships:
Men
- Alex Lee, Chandeler, AZ — 67 kilgorams
- CJ Cummings, Beaufort, SC — 73 kilograms | Olympic Games Eligible
- Christian Rodriguez Ocasio, San Ramon, CA — 81 kilograms
- Harrison Maurus, Auburn, WA — 81 kilograms | Olympic Games Eligible
- Jordan Cantrell, Clovis, CA — 89 kilograms
- John Downey, Corona, CA — 89 kilograms
- Nathan Damron, Sam Ramon, CA — 96 kilograms
- Wes Kitts, Knoxville, TN — 109 kilograms | Olympic Games Eligible
- Keiser Witte, Phoenix, AZ — +109 kilograms
- Caine Wilkes, Indian Trail, NC — +109 kilograms | Olympic Games Eligible
Women
- Cicely Kyle, Pensacola, FL — 45 kilograms
- Jourdan Delacruz, Wylie, TX — 49 kilograms | Olympic Games Eligible
- Hayley Reichardt, Leesport, PA — 49 kilograms
- Taylor Wilkins, McKinney, TX — 59 kilograms
- Mattie Sasser, Grandview, MO — 64 kilograms | Olympic Games Eligible
- Meredith Alwine, Virginia Beach, VA — 71 kilograms
- Katherine Nye, Berkley, MI — 76 kilograms | Olympic Games Eligible
- Jessie Stemo, Milwaukee, WI — 81 kilograms
- Mattie Rogers, Geneva, FL — 81 kilograms | Olympic Games Eligible
- Sarah Robles, Desert Hot Springs, CA — +87kg | Olympic Games Eligible
In order to compete at this event, each weightlifter will undergo COVID-19 testing upon departure from the USA and before their return.
View this post on Instagram
[Related: Podcast — The Fight to Save Weightlifting (with Sarah Davies)]
Qualifying for the Games
On March 5, 2021, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved the International Weightlifting Federation’s (IWF) request for an extension to the Olympic Games qualification period through the end of May 2020.
The Olympic qualification system, as it currently stands, requires weightlifters to compete six times in the 18-month Olympic qualification period prior to the Games. Those 18 months are split into three six-month periods. Weightlifters must compete at least once in each of those periods and two of their six appearances must be in the weight category they intend to compete in at the Olympic Games.
USAW expects to announce the U.S. Olympic Weightlifting Team by mid-June. The roster will consist of eight weightlifters — four men and four women. We will update this article with information regarding the live stream of the 2020 Pan American Championships when it is made available.
BarBend is the Official Media Partner of USA Weightlifting. Unless otherwise specified on certain content, the two organizations maintain editorial independence.
Featured image via CJ Cummings’ Instagram page: @cj__cummings