When former Olympian Paul Fleschler first hosted the Colorado state championships in 2001, he had 15 competitors. At the 2015 Colorado State Championships set to take place Feb. 28-March 1, more than 150 lifters are on the roster -- so many that he’s had to add a second platform and extend registration to accommodate the athletes.

 

“It’s unprecedented,” said Fleschler, owner and head coach of Front Range Weightlifting Club in Colorado Springs. According to officials with USA Weightlifting, membership to the organization more than doubled between 2010 and 2014, reaching more than 18,000 weightlifters in four age groups.

 

“I attribute a lot of the growth to CrossFit,” said Fleschler. “It raised a lot of awareness for our sport.”Fleschler said he’s excited to see the numbers athletes put up and the support the weightlifting and CrossFit communities have shown.

 

“Most of the time you only see weightlifting during the Olympics. Now we’re live-streaming competitions and creating more awareness. CrossFitters are tuning in and enjoying watching the nation’s best lifters,” he said. “The more people that know about the sport, the more people want to try it.”

 

Fleschler said he has athletes as young as 13 competing along with masters athletes. “It’s a lifelong sport,” he said. “I started at 13 and I’m still doing it at 48 years old.” Erin Amos, 16, said she became interested in weightlifting after her father exposed her to the sport through CrossFit. “I like that you get three attempts and when you compete, it’s all about you,” said Amos, who competes in the 48-kg weight class and was recently accepted to train at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs where she’s the youngest athlete by three years.“It’s very inspiring to watch the other lifters, especially the girls, who have accomplished a lot and have traveled a lot,” she said, adding that she admires lifters Jenny Arthur and Ellen Kercher.

 

This weekend, Amos said she hopes to PR both her 65-kg snatch and 83-kg clean and jerk. “I feel really confident,” she said. “I haven’t PR’d in over a year in competition and I plan to have a really good showing.”

 

Jared Enderton is also ready to put up big numbers, hoping to push his total past 340 kgs. The 26-year-old athlete who competes in the 94-kg weight class said he’s hoping to qualify for the world championships, but he knows the increased competition he faces.

 

“Before, a 330-kg total could qualify you,” said Enderton, whose current PR is 332-kgs, although he hasn’t broken 330-kgs in his past three meets. “Now, with a 330-kg total you might be ranked ninth.”

 

Enderton attributes the need to put up bigger numbers to the influx of athletes taking up the sport. “There are more people competing than ever before and we’re seeing more American records being set now,” he said, adding that he intends to focus on his own numbers rather than the competition. “I want big numbers and pressure produces diamonds.”

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