Hello Everyone,
For this month's newsletter, I'm coming to you with a number of minor updates and some very exciting news after Team Saskatchewan had an incredible weekend in Scarborough, ON, at the 2022 Canadian Invitational, which was an international IWF sanctioned competition. Results can be found here. I was able to catch at least a few lifts from every athlete, and it was exciting, to say the least. We had a massive ten medals ranging from bronze to gold between the four athletes sent. As far as I am aware, we have never had four SWA athletes compete at, let alone medal, at the same IWF Event before this weekend. Please join me in congratulating Bella Brown, McKay Brown, Abra Thompson, and Alexis Ashworth on their accomplishments!
2022 Canadian Invitation Results:
Bella Brown W49 - 64kg Snatch (Bronze), 69kg C&J (Bronze), 133kg Total (Bronze)
McKay Brown M81 - 119kg Snatch (Bronze), 137kg C&J (5th), 256kg Total (4th)
Abra Thompson W64 - 71kg Snatch (Silver), 93kg C&J (Silver), 164kg Total (Silver)
Alexis Ashworth W71 - 98kg Snatch (Gold & SWA Record), 122kg C&J (Gold & SWA Record), 220kg Total (Gold, SWA Record, & Qualification for the 2022 Commonwealth Games!)
Updates:
2021-2022 SWA Rankings: Youth, Junior, Senior, & Masters (35+ based on International Standards & consultation of the Masters' Committee) are all updated (including the CDN Invitational) on the website. I will be updating these ASAP after competitions, but please let me know if there are any errors or omissions.
SWA Records: Youth (NEW from the 2018-19 season onward), Junior, Senior, & Masters (30+) records have been updated. I will be updating these ASAP after competitions, but please let me know if there are any errors or omissions.
2022 Western Canadian Championships: Will be hosted by the Alberta Weightlifting Association on Nov 19, 2022. I recently met with the Western province PSO Presidents to discuss Westerns, and it was decided that Westerns will be held at roughly this time every year moving forward. We will also be meeting quarterly from this point onward.
2022 Junior Nationals: We have no updates but are actively working to connect with Canadian Weightlifting regarding this and other important topics.
2022 Senior Nationals: Will be hosted by BC Weightlifting on May 21-22 in Kelowna, BC. Standards are linked here. If any athletes are very close or able to achieve those totals, we are working on a way for you to have another crack at qualification before the qualifying period ends on Mar 27. More information will be available as soon as we confirm the details but get ready.
New Training Centres: Recently, Control Jiu-Jitsu has registered as an Educational TC with the SWA, and we are in the process of bringing on 1-2 other clubs shortly. Welcome to the SWA!
Autism Services Weightlifting Program: Our first youth pilot program in partnership with Saskatoon Autism Services is ending this weekend. We are excited to have received funding to offer another session from Mar 26th-June 25th. If you or anyone you know may be interested in registering for this program, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Coaching Course with Ma Strength: Details are not yet finalized, but we are hoping and planning to bring in the Ma Strength team for an SWA only subsidized (but not free) series of Weightlifting coaching courses in the early Fall 2022. Keep an eye out for more information coming soon, as there will be a limited number of spots available.
2021-2022 Competition Schedule:
Week of Mar 21-27: Last-Chance Senior Nationals Qualifier for Athletes close to qualifying (Details coming ASAP)
Apr 23: SWA Meet (Hybrid/Online)
May 21-22: Canadian National Championship (Kelowna, BC)
May 28: SWA Meet (Hybrid/Online)
June 8-12: Masters Pan-American Championships
July 8-10 - Canadian Masters Championship
Tentative 2022-2023 Competition Schedule:
Late Aug or Early Sept: "Casual" SWA Meet (Hybrid/Online) - NOT a National Qualifier
Oct 8 or 15: SWA Meet (In-person ONLY, Subject to Doping Control) - Qualifier for Westerns & Nationals with the Westerns team selected based on this competition ONLY (Tentative based on membership feedback)
Nov 19: Western Canadian Championships in Alberta (In-person only)
Dec 3 or 10: Junior Provincials (Hybrid/Online) - Last-qualifier for Junior Nationals
Mid-Late Jan: Junior Nationals (Tentative & may impact the timing of the Dec meet if moved)
Early Feb: Masters Provincials (Hybrid/Online)
Late Feb: Saskatchewan Winter Games in Regina
End of Mar: SWA Provincials (In-person ONLY, Subject to Doping Control) - May require qualification & include a Banquet/Awards Night (Based on membership feedback)
Apr/May: End of Season "Casual" Competition (Hybrid/Online)
May 20-21: Canadian National Championship
That was a lot, but I hope it is helpful. We are working on making this type of email newsletter a more regular part of our communication strategy and looking forward to finding other ways to keep you informed.
Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions, concerns, or feedback.
All the best,
Lucas King, 2Lt. BKIN. MBA
President, Saskatchewan Weightlifting Association