The top weightlifting athletes from around the United States will be competing in the 2007 National Championships with aspirations of making the teams that will represent the United States at the 2007 World Championships, September 11-25, in Chang Mai, Thailand and the 2007 Pan American Games, July 13-29, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Following this weekend’s competition, USA Weightlifting will know the six men and four women that are qualified for the 2007 USA Weightlifting World Championships Team and the five men and four women that will qualify for the 2007 U.S. Pan American Games Team.

USA Weightlifting hosted the U.S. World Championships Team Secondary Qualifying event, March 2, 2007 in Columbus, Ohio. This event allowed athletes to post an initial mark staking their claim for a spot on the 2007 World Championships Team and provided an early glimpse of how the U.S. Team stacks up ranking wise as the athletes of USA Weightlifting enter the crucial Olympic qualifying year.

As expected, two-time U.S. Olympian (2000 and 2004) and 2000 Olympic bronze medalist, Cheryl Haworth (Savannah, Ga./Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Casey Burgener (Bonsall, Calif./Colorado Springs, Colo.) sit atop the ranking list, just as they finished the 2006 season.

Haworth and Burgener look primed to lead Team USA through the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (July 13-29) and into the 2007 World Weightlifting Championships in Chang Mai, Thailand (September 11-25), the final 2008 Olympic Games Qualifying event.

Following the 2007 U.S. World Championships Weightlifting Team Secondary Qualifier, the USA Weightlifting Rankings looked as follows:

WOMEN
Name – Weight Class
Cheryl Haworth – 75+ kilograms
Natalie Woolfolk – 63 kilograms
Melanie Roach – 53 kilograms
Doreen Fullhart – 75 kilograms
Emmy Vargas – 75+ kilograms
Stacy Suyama – 48 kilograms
Ingrid Marcum – 75 kilograms

MEN
Name – Weight Class
Casey Burgener – 105+ kilograms
Chad Vaughn – 77 kilograms
Kendrick Farris – 85 kilograms
Henry Brower – 69 kilograms
Donald Shankle – 105 kilograms
Cody Gibbs – 105 kilograms
Lance Frye – 77 kilograms
Chris Yorkowitz – 69 kilograms

For the complete participant list for the 2007 USA Weightlifting National Championships, please visit www.usaweightlifting.org. You can also follow results from the 2007 USA Weightlifting National Championships in Schaumburg, Ill., please visit www.usaweightlifting.org.

For more information, please contact Cecil Bleiker, USOC Manager of NGB Media Services in the USOC Media & Public Relations Division at 719-866-4608. This press release is also available on the USOC’s media specific website at www.usocpressbox.org.