2016 USA Weightlifting Olympic Team Trials & 2016 Nationals Headed to Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, Utah, will host the 2016 Olympic Team Trials for Weightlifting at the Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace Convention Center on May 5 – 8, 2016. This is the final competition to determine who will be nominated to represent the United States in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. 30 of the USA's top athletes will compete in the Olympic Trials, which will be the final competition to determine who will become members of the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team.
In conjunction with the Olympic Team Trials, the 2016 USA Weightlifting National Championships will take place. The Olympic Team Trials will occur during one afternoon of the weekend’s events. This will be the second time in four years that Salt Lake City has hosted Weightlifting's annual showcase, it will be the first time the city has hosted a U.S. Olympic Team Trials for a summer sport.
As the host city of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, Salt Lake City is rich in Olympic history. The Utah Olympic Park, located near Park City, features the 2002 Winters Olympics Museum, Alf Engen Ski Museum, and Joe Quinney Winter Sports Center. The Salt Lake City organizing committee will be drawing on this rich Olympic history to create a first rate athlete experience for both the U.S. Olympic Team Trials and the USA Weightlifting National Championships.
The site operates today as a training center for Olympic and development level athletes and a recreational point of interest.
“We are delighted to be returning to Salt Lake City for a second time. The experience provided by the Utah Weightlifting, Utah Sports Commission and Visit Salt Lake for the 2014 Nationals was outstanding. It is a logical partnership, for both ourselves and the USOC, to execute this pivotal competition as we prepare for the 2016 Olympic Games,” said USA Weightlifting CEO, Michael Massik.
“Through the hard work of many key partners following our Olympic and sports legacy strategy, we have been able to broaden Utah’s sports landscape”, said Jeff Robbins, president and CEO of the Utah Sports Commission. “We continue to have Olympic level competition taking place in Utah keeping the experience and excitement of the Olympic spirit we felt 13 years ago”.
"No group of athletes in the world embodies the Olympic spirit better than Weightlifters in the United States. To train and compete in such a physically and mentally demanding way is an inspiration to all. We are humbled and excited to welcome these dedicated, skilled, powerful athletes to Utah again and celebrate both our 2016 U.S. Olympic Team and our National Champions alike," said Utah Weightlifting chairperson, Debbie Millet
Salt Lake City was selected to host this prestige event from pool of three finalists. USA Weightlifting would like to thank the two additional finalist bids from Columbus, Ohio, and Reno, Nevada.
The 2016 U.S. Olympic Weightlifting Team is subject to approval by the United States Olympic Committee.