COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 14, 2019) – USA Weightlifting is pleased to announce the athletes set to represent Team USA at the 2019 Pan American Games from July 26 to August 11 in Lima, Peru.

Ten of the country’s top athletes will compete in the Pan Am Games later this summer. Four men and six women have been selected through documented selection procedures and the athlete’s competitive totals at domestic and international competitions.

USA Weightlifting qualified three more athlete for Lima than for the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, where seven of America’s top weightlifters competed. In 2015 Team USA finished fifth in the medal standings, with Kendrick Farris earning a gold medal and Norik Vardanian winning silver.

All 10 athletes have previously represented Team USA in international competition – including the 2018 International Weightlifting Federation World Championships in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan and the 2019 Pan American Championships in Guatemala City, Guatemala – and represent dozens of Pan American and American records between them. Team USA is looking to build on its international success in Lima after both men’s and women’s teams won the Pan American Championships in April.

“This is the new normal – we come in and we’re fierce,” said USA Weightlifting’s director of sport performance and coaching education, Mike Gattone. “We’re professional, we support each other and we win championships."

Team USA Men:

Name BW Cat Hometown Club Coach Harrison Maurus 81 Auburn, Wash. Unattached N/A Christian Rodriguez Ocasio 81 Pleasanton, Calif. California Strength David Spitz Nathan Damron 96 Winston-Salem, N.C. Mash Mafia Weightlifting Travis Mash Wes Kitts 109 Livermore, Calif. California Strength David Spitz

Team USA Women:

Name BW Cat Hometown Club Coach Jourdan Delacruz 55 Dacula, Ga. Power & Grace Performance Spencer Arnold Jessica Lucero 59 Orange, Calif. Academy of Weightlifting Russell McCarthy Hunter Elam 59 Winston-Salem, N.C. Mash Mafia Weightlifting Travis Mash Mattie Sasser 64 Grayslake, Ill. Forza Weightlifting David Ester Katherine Nye 76 Oakland Township, Mich. Team Hercules Joshua Galloway Sarah Robles +87 League City, Texas Team Houston Tim Swords

All Pan American Games roster nominations are pending approval of the U.S. Olympic Committee.

A preliminary competition schedule will be published as soon as available.



Press Contact:

Kelsey Kennedy

USA Weightlifting

kelsey.kennedy@usaweightlifting.org

Note to press: USA Weightlifting press officer Kelsey Kennedy will be on site during the Pan American Games. Please send Interview requests to kelsey.kennedy@usaweightlifting.org.