Team USA Masters competed at the 2017 World Masters Games in Auckland New Zealand this April 22-29, 2017. The World Masters Games takes place every 4 years and is a multi-sport Games event designed specifically for Masters.

The Weightlifting event took place at AUT Millennium. Team USA finished with 19 Gold Medals, 18 Silver Medals and 18 Bronze Medals across the week.

6 American Women set IWF Masters World Records, more than any other nation. Gwen Sisto (Eliot, ME – Risto Team) set the W35 63kg Snatch Record, Kristi Brewer (Boise, ID – Snake River Weightlifting) set records in both lifts and the total in the W35 63kg, Maika Godwin (Rodeo, CA – Team Juggernaut) set the World record in the 90kg W40 total, moving up the W45 and Jo Ann Aita (Oakland, CA – Team Juggernaut) set all 3 W45 58kg World Records, in the W50 Loretta Kikuchi (Wailuku, HI – HI Performance athletics) joined Aita as a 58kg record holder. Finally Laurie Nelson (Topanga, CA – Takano Athletics) swept the W70 63kg record board. They were joined by 12 World Masters Games Records for Women and 2 World Masters Games records for Men across Team USA.

4 American Women won the Best Lifter in their Age group by Sinclair (Laurie Nelson, Loretta Kikuchi, Jo Ann Aita and Maika Godwin).

“Congratulations to the US Masters delegation in New Zealand, once again proving that the United States is amongst the leading Masters nations in the World. Particular congratulations to those setting World Records, taking home the Gold as World Masters Games Champion,” said USA Weightlifting CEO Phil Andrews.

Full results of the 2017 World Masters Games are at the following:

http://www.worldmastersgames2017.co.nz/the-sports/schedules-and-results/weightlifting/

*World Masters Games Record setter
**IWF World Masters Record Holder

USA MEDALISTS

World Masters Games Champions:

Laurie Nelson (Topanga, CA – Takano Athletics) – W70 63kg**

Cynthia Delago (Moorestown, NJ – Moorestown WLC) – W60 53kg.*

Deborah Werenko (Santa Fe, NM – Miller Weightlifting) – W60 58kg*

Margaret Dariotis (Mount Vernon, WA – Spartak Weightlifting) – W55 69kg

Loretta Kikuchi (Waliuku, HI – HI Performance Athletics) – W50 58kg**

Jo Ann Aita (Oakland, CA – Team Juggernaut) – W45 58kg**

Shannon Whiteman (Arlington, VA - Unattached) – W40 69kg*

Maika Godwin (Rodeo, CA – Team Juggernaut) – W40 90kg**

Amber Avila (Corona, CA – Virtue Barbell) – W35 48kg

Kirsti Brewer (Boise, ID – Snake River Weightlifting) – W35 63kg** 

Katy Davis (Marion, IA – Team SAW) – W35 69kg*

Mary Colasanto (Holladay, UT – 3 Wheels BBC) – W35 75kg

Rudolf Kotlikov (Chicago, IL – Team Savannah) – M80 62kg

Bob Strange (Solana Beach, CA – Strange Polecats) – M80 85kg*

Randhir Virk (Reno, NV – Unattached) – M75 94kg

David Meltzer (Mesa, AZ – Gayle Hatch Weightlifting) – M65 105kg

Robert Arroyo (Lacey, WA – ECG Washington) – M45 94kg*

John Pak (La Palma, CA – Team Juggernaut) – M35 77kg

Shane Sevcik (Medford, OR – Klamath Barbell) – M35 +105kg

Silver Medalists:

Valerie Matsunga (Kahului, HI – HI Performance Athletics) – W60 53kg*

Allison Strine (Roswell, GA – HD Barbell) – W55 75kg 

Kecia Aldridge (Tacoma, WA - Unattached) – W45 58kg

Laura Sims (Alexandria, VA – Adaptation Barbell) – W45 +90kg

Jennifer Lee (Boulder, CO – Butcher Barbell) – W40 63kg

Mara Arrieta (Phoenix, AZ – Olympia Weightlifting) – W40 90kg

Gwen Sisto (Eliot, ME – Risto Team) – W35 63kg**

Jessica Weisman (Somerville, MA – Risto Team) – W35 69kg*

Amanda Cook (Bettendorf, IA – Calavera Barbell) – W35 90kg
Gary Kawamura (Pearl City, HI – Team Hawaii) – M65 56kg
Art Donahoe (Manteo, NC – LBH of NYC Dept of Parks) – M65 77kg

Chris Dariotis (Mount Vernon, WA – Spartak Weightlifting) – M65 105kg

Gary Karkuff (Mechanicsburg, PA – East Coast Gold) – M60 62kg

Donald Bell (Aberdeen, WA – Calpians WLC) – M50 94kg

James Aftosmis (Dallas, TX – Spoon Barbell) – M45 77kg

Ryan Bader (Shoreline, WA – PR Weightlifting) – M40 94kg

Jacob Hackl (Minneapolis, MN – Kingfield Barbell) – M40 105kg

Dominic Ahuna (Honolulu, HI – Team Hawaii) – M40 +105kg

Bronze Medalists:

Mary Graham (Arvada, CO – Front Range WLC) – W50 58kg 

Deborah Rominger (Reno, NV – Calavera Barbell) – W45 53kg

April Roach (Arlington, VA - Unattached) – W40 69kg

Megan Farrell (Santa Cruz, CA – Team Juggernaut) – W35 69kg*

Rebecca Zachau (Castro Valley, CA – CrossFit San Leandro) – W35 90kg
William Hosken (Libertyville, IL – Forza Weightlifting) – M80 77kg
Russell Williams (Steliacoom, WA - Unattached) – M75 85kg
Van Cramer (Spring, TX – LBH of NYC Dept of Parks) – M65 62kg
Juan Sepuldeva (Marietta, GA – Coffee’s Gym) – M65 105kg

Victor Reid (Waco, TX – Spoon Barbell) – M65 85kg

Brian Miyamoto (Kaneohe, HI – Team Hawaii) – M55 62kg

Donald McInnes (Wilmington, DE – West Chester Weightlifting) – M50 85kg

Mike Choi (Washington, DC – DC Weightlifting) – M45 85kg

Mark Albrecht (Draper, UT – Lower Weightlifting) – M40 85kg

Chris Sheppard (Washington, DC – DC Weightlifting) – M40 94kg

Carlos Hernandez (Reno, NV – Calavera Barbell) – M35 85kg

Anthony Bader (Marysville, WA – PR Weightlifting) – M35 94kg

Scott Baxter (Rochester, NY - Unattached) – M35 105kg