USA Weightlifting is pleased to announce their planned competition calendar through the 2020 Olympic Games.

The USA Weightlifting Board Directors, working on advice from Head Coach Zygmunt Smalcerz, agreed upon the following calendar for the 2016 – 2020 Olympic Quadrennial.

USA Weightlifting, in concert with the competition committee, will immediately begin seeking sites for events beginning with the 2017 National Junior Championships. If your club or city is interested in hosting an event, please reach out to Phil Andrews, Director of Events & Programs at phil.andrews@usaweightlifting.org

This calendar is designed to give coaches and athletes clear guidance on when USA Weightlifting competitions will take place each year in order to aid them in making competition plans. USA Weightlifting will work with host cities to maintain consistent timing throughout the quadrennial period.

Please note that in the event a major IWF or PAWF event overlaps with one of the following events, the timing of the USAW event may need to be adjusted.

Qualifying totals will still be approved on an annual basis, based off of the previous events and the advice of the competition and technical committees.

Month 2017, 2018, 2019 2020 Jan Feb (Late February) National Juniors National Juniors March American Open Series 1 American Open Series 1 April National University & U25 National University & U25 May (Early May) USA Weightlifting National Championships US Olympic Team Trials & Nationals June (Late June) National Youth Championships National Youth Championships July American Open Series 2 American Open Series 2 August September World University, World Team Final Trials & AO Series 3 World University Team Trials & AO Series 3 October November December American Open Final American Open Final

Introducing the American Open Series

To meet the increasing demand of athletes wanting to compete in the sport of weightlifting, USA Weightlifting will be introducing the American Open Series.

Based in part on the German Bundesliga and Polish league systems, as well as the advice of Head Coach Zygmunt Smalcerz, the series will be held three times a year with a finals in the place of the current American Open event.





This series will include sessions for senior, master, youth, and junior athletes and provide an opportunity to earn points throughout the year using the IWF Points system (points given for total only).

Double points will be on offer at the American Open Finals. Team entries will also be able to be taken across the entire series.





Athletes and teams do not need to attend the entire series, but rather, may pick and choose the events that they wish to attend. The events are entirely optional, and athletes are not expected to “max out” at each and every event if they do chose to attend. This aligns with the German Bundesliga concept.





While the American Open events are classified as national rather than regional events, it is the intent of USA Weightlifting to spread the series around the nation to reduce travel costs for those who wish to only one event.



