High Drama Rules the Day as USA Weightlifters Qualify for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team

For Immediate Release May 17, 2008 High Drama Rules the Day as USA Weightlifters Qualify for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team ATLANTA, Ga.-High drama ruled the day at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Weightlifting today as seven weightlifters qualified for their spot for nomination on the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team. The most dramatic part of the day came with the final lift of the day as Casey Burgener (Bonsall, Calif./Colorado Springs, Colo.) needed his final clean and jerk of 224 kg to move into the third and final slot for the U.S. men's team. Kendrick Farris (Shreveport, La.) and Chad Vaughn (Konawa, Okla./Norman, Okla.) distanced themselves from the field today to secure the first two spots on the team respectively, while they watched four guys battle it out attempt after attempt for the final position. On the women's side, mother of three, Melanie Roach (Bonney Lake, Wash.) realized a delayed dream and qualified for her first U.S. Olympic Team after being close in 2000. She is followed by Carissa Gump (Essex Junction, Vt./Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Natalie Woolfolk (Arnold, Md./Colorado Springs, Colo.). Cheryl Haworth (Savannah, Ga.), the 2000 Olympic bronze medalist and two-time Olympian (2000 and 2004) came in an unfamiliar position of having to perform at a very high level to make the U.S. team and she did just that coming through in the clutch to make her third consecutive U.S. Olympic Team. Top challengers Cara Heads (Costa Mesa, Calif./Shreveport, La./ 2000 U.S. Olympian) and Jackie Berube (Escanaba, Mich./Colorado Springs, Colo.) finished the day in fifth and sixth respectively. The women got the day started with Roach totaling 190kg for a 87.96% weight lifted to body weight ratio to secure the first women's Olympic slot. Gump and Woolfolk did not perform as well today as they did at the 2008 USA Weightlifting National Championships which served as the secondary Olympic qualifier, so they kept their totals and percentages from the National Championships to lock up the second and third Olympic slots on the women's side. Haworth's secondary Olympic qualifier totals and percentage put her in tenth place on the Olympic Team ranking coming into today's Olympic Trials. Haworth had to put up big weight to make the team and she did just that, totaling 253kg for 83.77%. On the men's side Farris and Vaughn distanced themselves early securing the first two Olympic slots and leaving it for five others to battle it out attempt by attempt for the third position. Farris totaled 355kg for 93.61% to finish first followed by Vaughn at 92.84% with a 333kg total. Burgener, Lance Frye (Moorestown, N.J.), Matt Bruce (Baton Rouge, La.) and Jeff Wittmer (Florissant, Mo.) and Zach Krych (Colorado Springs, Colo.) were locked in a battle for the third position before Burgener made his 224kg clean and jerk for a 404kg total and at 90.76% finishing just ahead of Frye and Bruce at 90.61% each. 2008 U.S. Olympic Team-Weightlifting Women Melanie Roach (Bonney Lake, Wash.)-Women's 53kg Weight Class Carissa Gump (Essex Junction, Vt./Colorado Springs, Colo.)-Women's 63kg Weight Class Natalie Woolfolk (Arnold, Md./Colorado Springs, Colo.) - Women's 63kg Weight Class Cheryl Haworth (Savannah, Ga.)-Women's 75+kg Weight Class Men Kendrick Farris (Shreveport, La.) Chad Vaughn (Konawa, Okla./Norman, Okla.) Casey Burgener (Bonsall, Calif./Colorado Springs, Colo.) For the complete results from the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Weightlifting please visit www.usaweightlifting.org. Ranking of athletes was determined by top percentage of weight lifted as compared to body weight. For the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, the United States women qualified for the maximum of four competition slots based on their combined eighth place team placement at the 2006 and 2007 World Weightlifting Championships. The USA women had originally placed ninth, but their team ranking improved by one position following the recalculation of team points after doping positives were discovered for athletes on teams that had originally placed above the United States. For the USA men, knowing the number of qualified Olympic slots has been a roller-coaster ride. At the conclusion of the 2007 World Weightlifting Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand, September 17-26, 2007, the U.S. Men sat in position to secure three Olympic slots with a 27th place combined finish, making the U.S. the final country to qualify slots for the Olympic Games. As was the case with the women, teams above the U.S. had athletes that received doping positives. Despite no one on the U.S. team testing positive, the U.S. men dropped one position in the overall team rankings when team totals were recalculated, thus losing the three Olympic slots they thought they had earned. The shift in order, due to doping positives by athletes in teams that finished above Team USA, caused a re-shuffling of team points and the final mathematical breakdown moved Chinese Taipei above the United States. The U.S. men were then forced to compete in the final Olympic qualifying event, the 2008 Pan American Weightlifting Championships, March 17-22 in Callao, Peru, where the eight member U.S. team had to finish ranked first or second as a team to qualify for two Olympic slots. With a strong team performance the U.S. men finished first and qualified for two Olympic slots. Following the 2008 Pan American Weightlifting Championships, the U.S. men prepared for their attempt to finish in the top two at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. The spirits of the athletes attempting to make the 2008 U.S. Olympic Men's Team received a tremendous boost on Tuesday, May 13 when they learned that the International Weightlifting Federation had met via teleconference with IWF Vice President and former U.S. Olympic Team Coach Dragomir Cioroslan and offered the United States a third men's Olympic slot. USA Weightlifting is awaiting the final official written invitation for the third men's Olympic slot from the IWF, which is expected next week. For the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, all 30 athletes competed against each other and not just those athletes in their specific weight class. This meant that to four best women's lifters and the three best male lifters qualified for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team regardless of weight class. As has been the case for past Olympic Games, more than one individual per weight class could make the team which is the case for the women with Gump and Woolfolk both competing in the 63kg weight class. The final ranking was determined by the highest percentage of weight lifted compared to body weight. The 2008 USA Weightlifting National Championships and the 2008 Pan American Weightlifting Championships (for men only) will serve as the secondary Olympic Team Qualifying event, meaning that athletes competing in the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials may elect to use their totals from either the 2007 National Championships or the 2008 Pan American Championships (for men only) if they are higher than those they post at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. With that being said, the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials was a must-compete event meaning that athletes qualified for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials had to compete in the Olympic Trials in order to have the opportunity to use the secondary event total if necessary. For more information, please contact Cecil Bleiker, NGB Media Services Director for USA Weightlifting at 719-330-2062. This press release is also available on the USOC's media specific website at www.usocpressbox.org.

Tags: Chad Vaughn, Zach Krych