USAWA

By Eric Todd

Another change that was made at the national meeting this year was the method by which the practical training sessions to complete the process of being an official may be conducted.  In the past, it has been required for an official in training to sit side by side with a fully certified official to complete three practical training sessions. That method is still an acceptable practice, but now you have the option of doing as few as one in person training sessions.  If a person chooses this method, they must complete a video test for each of the training sessions they did not sit in on.  Each video test has 15 videos of USAWA lifts.  The prospective official will decide if the lift passes or not, and then answers a couple questions about the lift.  The tests are on Google Forms.  Please reach out to me if you would like the video tests to supplement your practical training session(s) in order to complete your USAWA official’s certification process. You can reach me at SalGuimino@yahoo.com.  There are currently 3 officials in training who would be eligible to take advantage of this.

By Eric Todd

There were a few changes that were voted on and approved by the membership at the national meeting.  I have planned to outline these in a series of articles, and am just now getting to it. One of those was the allowance of individuals to lift virtually in USAWA competitions.  This is not an option that is allowable for the national championship, but could be an option for any other meet.  That is up to the discretion of the promoter.  For instance, all of the current meets sanctioned by Clark’s gym are hybrid, meaning lifters can lift in person or remotely, whereas the Old Time Strongman meet I am hosting next weekend is in person only.  The idea behind this rule change is that it might increase participation for those lifters that are less likely to travel cross country to meets.  Lifters who lift virtually with no certified official are eligible for meet accolades, but no national records.  Those that are judged by a certified official in a remote location from the in-person competition would be eligible for USAWA national records.  No promoter is required to offer remote or hybrid options, but any who wishes to is welcome to do so.  Any promoter is welcome to ask questions about this rule change via email, the forum, or on facebook. Hopefully it encourages additional participation of members and in turn increases our membership which seems to be on an uphill swing.

apparently, the Gold Cup is a hot commodity this year, which is a fantastic thing.  Because of that, they have had to change the venue for the banquet.  Updated info all below:

 

Entries are now being welcomed for the 2023 IAWA Gold Cup at MetamorFIT Gym, Eastbourne England!

Click Here for the Application Form – Word Format

Click Here for the Application Form – PDF Format

Click Here for the Information Sheet

Please note – Closing Date for entries is Saturday 14th October!

The Gold Cup is IAWA’s annual international record breakers event.

To take part, lifters must be the holder of an IAWA World Record.

Lifters have the opportunity to choose a lift and attempt to break (or set) a World Record in their age and weight class on that lift, but the first attempt has to be for the record. Three further attempts can then be taken.

If successful they receive a trophy based on the theme ‘Gold Cup’ presented at the evening award ceremony.

Lifters also have the opportunity to compete against each other to determine the overall winner (based on Blindt score, age & bodyweight) for the Howard Prechtel Memorial Award.

Usually (time permitting) lifters have an opportunity to attempt a record in a second choice lift.

Please direct any enquiries to the promoter –

Paul Barette – Email iawa@metamorfit.co.uk

We are working on getting national results from before we had a website recorded on the website in an effort to preserve a more complete history.  The first one that I am posting here is from 1997.  They are all transcribed from the “Strength Journal” by Bill Clark.  This was an idea of Frank Ciavattone’s and was presented at the national meeting last year.  Enjoy a little piece of history:

By Bill Clark (From “US All-Round Weightlifting Association Strength Journal”, Vol. VIII, No. 3, June 17, 1997. Columbia MO. Print.)

Nationals 1997