USA Weightlifting's National Championships are headed to DuPage County in 2017. Competition will take place at the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center from May 11 to 14, 2017. USA Weightlifting is hosting the event in partnership with DuPage County and the Central LWC. The Westin Lombard Yorktown Center, located within the Yorktown shopping complex, will also serve as the host hotel for the weekend. |
Chicago has a long history in the sport of weightlifting and is home to a number of USA Weightlifting Hall of Fame athletes, including Mike Karchut, Rick Holbrook, Jeff Michels, Clyde Emrich, and Henry Duey. The city has hosted various high-profile weightlifting competitions - most recently, the 2009 National Championships and Pan American Championships.
"We look forward to hosting this prestigious event and we are confident that the athletes and families will have a wonderful experience in DuPage County." states Beth Marchetti, Executive Director of the DCVB. "This is a win-win for all as this event will bring national media attention to the area."
"USA Weightlifting is delighted to partner with the Central LWC and the DuPage CVB to bring our premier annual event back to the Chicago area. This historic city and surrounding suburbs have long been a cornerstone of the sport of weightlifting, and I have no doubt that together with the Chicago weightlifting community, this will be an outstanding National Championship," said Phil Andrews, USA Weightlifting CEO.
To participate, USA Weightlifting members must be a U.S. citizen and meet the qualifying total in any USA Weightlifting sanctioned event during the qualifying period (April 1, 2016 to March 26, 2017). Qualifying totals are posted on the USA Weightlifting website.
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About DuPage County
The DuPage Convention & Visitors Bureau was established through the efforts of a coalition of DuPage area hotel executives and business representatives in 1987, and was formally certified in 1989 by the State of Illinois. It remains the official agency for promoting the county's multibillion dollar tourism industry and market DuPage County as an enticing destination for leisure and business travelers, meeting planners, groups and conventions, in order to enhance the economic development of the area. The CVB plays a powerful role in generating tourism revenue for DuPage County, which ranks second only to Cook County in visitor expenditures-over $2.25 billion last year alone.