USA Awarded 2017 IWF World Championships
Southern California City Selected to Host Weightlifting's Premiere Event
PENANG, Malaysia -- The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) Executive Board reallocated the 2017 IWF World Championships to USA Weightlifting. This comes after the original host city, Penang, Malaysia, encountered difficulties and resigned from the organization of the event. USA Weightlifting will bring the event to Anaheim, USA.
"We are saddened that Penang will not be able to host the 2017 IWF World Championships. The people of Penang and Malaysia are always so welcoming to our athletes," IWF President Dr. Tamás Aján said. "We are grateful that Anaheim stepped in to host the world's biggest weightlifting competition of 2017."
The City of Anaheim is located in close proximity to the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and is home to Disneyland® Resort, the Anaheim Ducks® and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim®. This will be the first time the IWF World Championships will be held in the city, which has hosted major sporting events including the 1984 Olympic Games' wrestling matches, held at the Anaheim Convention Center.
The 2017 IWF World Championships will be held Nov. 28 - Dec. 5, 2017 at the Anaheim Convention Center. This is the first time the event will be held in Anaheim, California.
"It is an honor to welcome the 2017 IWF World Championships to the United States," USA Weightlifting CEO Phil Andrews said. "We thank the IWF Executive Board for their trust in hosting the sport's biggest event of 2017. We look forward to working with our partners at the IWF and Visit Anaheim to hold a great event for the athletes."
The IWF World Championships were last held in the United States in 2015 when Houston hosted the event.
"The 2015 IWF World Championships in Houston were magical," USA Weightlifting Board of Directors Chair Ursula Garza Papandrea said. "We cannot wait to host the world's best athletes back here in the United States. It will be a great competition."
The Anaheim Convention Center is located in the Anaheim Resort™ district, centrally located between Los Angeles and San Diego, Anaheim is easily accessible from four nearby airports including Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), to easily shuttle IWF athletes to their accommodations in Anaheim.
"We are thrilled to welcome the 2017 IWF World Championships to Anaheim," said Jay Burress, President & CEO, Visit Anaheim. "Anaheim is a world-class sports destination that is only growing through the work and partnerships our Sports Anaheim team has been forging. We look forward to hosting IWF in 2017 and some of the sport's greatest athletes in our city."
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About USA Weightlifting
USA Weightlifting, a member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), is the National Governing Body for the Olympic Sport of Weightlifting in the USA. The mission of USA Weightlifting shall be to enable United States athletes to achieve sustained competitive excellence in Olympic competition and to promote and grow the sport of Weightlifting in the United States.
