Topic: News: Jeff Wittmer Wins Bronze at Pan Am Weightlifting Championships

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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Jeff Wittmer Wins Bronze at Pan Am Weightlifting Championships

Jeff Wittmer, a Florissant native now living in Springfield while attending Missouri State, won a bronze medal in the 94kg weight class last weekend at the Pan American Weightlifting Championships in Callao, Peru.

Wittmer lifted 155kg in the snatch and 192kg in the clean-and-jerk for a 347kg total.
As a result of the eight team members’ performance last weekend, the USA Weightlifting men’s team will be represented by two athletes on the Olympic platform at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing China.

The U.S. took first place as a team among countries not already qualified for the Beijing Games, thus securing two Olympic slots for the U.S. team. The U.S. also brought home the overall team silver medal from the event, finishing just behind Cuba.

“I am extremely proud of our team,” said Dennis Snethen, Interim Executive Director for USA Weightlifting. “We accomplished our goal for this competition, which was to secure the two available Olympic slots. All of our guys contributed to this success with consistent lifts in a high pressure meet.

“Now we move on to the Olympic Trials in Atlanta, Ga., in May, where these teammates will now compete to see who the two Olympians will be.”

Canada also secured two Olympic slots and Brazil, Ecuador and Argentina each earned one through their team’s performances at this important event.