OAK BROOK, IL — USA Weightlifting will return to the Village of Lombard, located in DuPage County, for the 2019 National Junior Championship, February 14-17, 2019. The Westin Lombard Yorktown Center, which also hosted the 2017 USA Weightlifting National Championship, will serve as the competition hotel and venue. The return of the popular youth competition represents nearly 500 visitors, resulting in more than 850 hotel room nights and more than $365,000 in spending for DuPage. Named the healthiest county in Illinois,
DuPage offers a diverse variety of attractions and experiences that contribute to a memorable and affordable family-friendly visit. “DuPage has a historic and rich tradition of hosting premier championship events,” said DuPage Convention & Visitors Bureau Director of Business Development Justin Roach. “The 2019 National Junior Championship at the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center will become a signature event that our communities will be proud of hosting.” Located just 20 miles from Chicago, DuPage County is easily accessible from both O’Hare International and Midway International Airports. Just steps from the Westin, Yorktown Center features over 150 specialty stores, 20 restaurants and an 18-screen movie theatre.
The Chicago area has a storied history of weightlifting and is home to one of the longest tenured clubs, Sayre Park Weightlifting. The city has also seen international competition in the past, hosting the 2009 Pan American Championships and National Championships. “We are delighted to bring the National Junior Championships back to the Chicago area," USA Weightlifting CEO Phil Andrews said. "The great weightlifting community the Windy City enjoys is a big reason why we are keen to site events in Chicagoland on as a regular basis as possible. We look forward to a great 2019 National Juniors.” Qualifying totals and registration details will be made available in Summer 2018 after the completion of the International Weightlifting Federation review of bodyweight categories.