USA Weightlifting Men’s Team Qualifies for Two Olympic Slots at Final Olymp
USA Weightlifting Men’s Team Qualifies for Two Olympic Slots at Final Olympic Qualifier in Callao, Peru
The USA Weightlifting Men’s Team will be represented by two athletes on the Olympic platform at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing China. Powered by consistent performances by all eight men competing for the U.S. at the 2008 Pan American Weightlifting Championships and final Olympic qualifier, this past weekend in Callao, Peru, the U.S. men’s team finished the event in first place as a team among country’s not already qualified for the Beijing Games, thus securing two Olympic slots for the United States men.
Way too go Team USA. The U.S. men also brought home the overall team silver medal from the event, finishing just behind Cuba.
Please see below for the individual totals for Team USA from the 2008 Pan American Weightlifting Championships:
Derrick Johnson (St. Louis, Mo.), 62kg Weight Class - 240kg total (107kg snatch and 133kg clean and jerk) - 14th Place Overall
Matt Bruce (Baton Rouge, La.), 77kg Weight Class - 325kg total (145kg snatch and 180kg clean and jerk) - Fourth Place Overall
Chad Vaughn (Konawa, Okla./Norman, Okla.), 77kg Weight Class - 322kg total (142kg snatch and 180kg clean and jerk) - Fifth Place Overall
Kendrick Farris (Shreveport, La.), 85kg Weight Class - 347kg total (150kg snatch and 197kg clean and jerk - silver medal) - Fourth Place Overall
Zach Krych (Colorado Springs, Colo.), 85kg Weight Class - 319kg total (140kg snatch and 179kg clean and jerk) - Sixth Place Overall
Jeff Wittmer (Florissant, Mo.), 94kg Weight Class - 347kg total (155kg snatch and 192kg clean and jerk - bronze medal)
Casey Burgener (Bonsall, Calif./Colorado Springs, Colo.), 105+kg Weight Class - 380kg total (170kg snatch - silver medal and 210kg clean and jerk) - Fourth Place Overall
Zach Schluender (Colorado Springs, Colo.), 105+Weight Class - 375kg total (167kg snatch - bronze medal and 208kg clean and jerk - personal record) - Fifth Place Overall
The top eight U.S. men represented the USA at this critical event. The event was full of pressure for these eight individuals as U.S. representation on the men’s 2008 Olympic platform was dependent upon their combined performances. The eight men that secured 2008 Olympic participation for the USA will move onto the 2008 U.S. OIympic Team Trials for Weightlifting, May 16-17 in Atlanta, Ga., where they will be vying with 22 other men for two positions and a chance to perform on the Olympic platform in Beijing.
Now onto the women. The United States women have qualified for the maximum of four competition slots for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
