Colorado Springs, Colorado (March 25, 2020) -- Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the extension of some locality orders, and in consultation with DuPage County Health, USA Weightlifting has made the difficult decision to postpone The Nike 2020 National Championships, powered by Rogue Fitness, in Lombard, Illinois.





The 2020 National Championships, originally scheduled for May 14-17 will now move to Atlanta and held in conjunction with the 2020 American Open Finals December 3-6 at the Georgia International Convention Center.





“This is clearly a disappointment to USA Weightlifting and the athletes training for this competition, nothing can mitigate the loss for athletes, coaches and the sense of shock we all have just now amid the Covid-19 Crisis” USA Weightlifting CEO Phil Andrews said. “We hope that by re-organizing the competition for December, our nation’s strongest athletes will still have the chance to be crowned National Champion.”





Athletes who have registered for the 2020 National Championships will have their registrations automatically transferred to the December event. For athletes wishing to compete in the National Championships, registration for the rescheduled December competition is currently open on BARS. USA Weightlifting will honor the original qualification period for the 2020 National Championships of April 13, 2019-April 12, 2020 (inclusive of the USA Weightlifting American Open Series Online Qualifier), while registration will remain in connection with the American Open Finals deadline. Update 4/8/20: The qualification window has been extended to November 1, 2020. The registration deadline will mirror the American Open Finals deadline, Thursday, November 5, 2020 at 2PM Mountain.





Lifting sessions will happen concurrently for both competitions in December. Therefore, athletes may choose to enter both the American Open Finals and National Championships, assuming their entry total qualifies them to enter. Separate registration fees apply to each competition an athlete wishes to compete.





Understanding that athletes have been training towards lifting at their very best during the weekend of May 14-17, USA Weightlifting is organizing the Virtual Super Championships. This online competition will be designed so that athletes’ important training will not be in vain and highlights will be available via the USAWeightlifting.org platform.





While final logistics are still being worked out, this competition will only be open to those who have qualified and registered for the 2020 National Championships. There is no fee to enter this online competition that can be used for qualification to the 2020 American Open Series 3 and American Open Finals. USA Weightlifting will communicate further details about the Virtual Super Championships in the coming days.