Many young athletes dream of putting on a Team USA singlet and representing our country in international competition!

If you want to know how to do that, this article will provide you everything you need to know!

Step 1: Basic requirements

• Be a U.S. citizen

• Have a valid passport

• Have a USAW account

• Complete the USADA athlete advantage training

Step 2: RTP Certification

What is the RTP? The RTP or Registered Testing Pool, is a list of people who are interested in competing internationally and have the potential to be drug tested for performance-enhancing drugs at any time.

I recommend doing this as soon as you join USA weightlifting membership. In order to compete internationally and receive stipend funding, you MUST be in the pool for 6 months. Do not wait to be in the pool until you think you could make a team. Get in the pool, that way you aren’t ineligible just because of the 6-month window.

In order to place yourself in the RTP you must have a current USAW account and follow these instructions:

1. Log in to usaweightlifting.org

2. Under your name and email select view profile

3. Select certifications from the drop-down menu 

4. Click add certification 

5. Select RTP certification 

Step 3: Meet minimum totals

In order to be considered for international competition you must meet at least the minimum total within your respective age category to do so. 

So what are the age categories for weightlifting? 

1. Youth: 13-17 years of age

2. Junior: 15-20 years of age

3. Senior: 15+ years of age

IMPORTANT: USAW uses the age that you turn in the current calendar year as your birthday. This means if you are still 17 but turn 18 later this year you would no longer be eligible as a youth. 

USAW will select teams for the following competitions

• IWF World Championships (youth, junior, and senior)

• Pan American Championships (youth, junior, and senior)

• Any international event listed as an Olympic Qualification event

The qualification period for any of these events begins 12 months prior to the competition and last until 3 months before the competition. In order to register a total to count towards the rankings an athlete must compete at a USA Weightlifting National level meet,  or other international event listed as a qualifier. 

New this year (2024), for any international competition taking place after August 30th there is a new process for selecting international teams. 

The new A and B standards are used for ranking athletes that meet the minimum totals

To be considered, an athlete must first meet the B standard (minimum total)

2024 B Standards

(All numbers updated as of January 1, 2024). 

After meeting the B standard at a qualification event (national level or international level meet), an athlete will then be ranked among the other athletes who have met these standards. 

The way athletes are ranked is from highest to lowest % of the A standard

Your total / A standard total = ranking %

2024 A standards

(All numbers updated as of January 1, 2024). 

To find who is currently ranked check out USA Weightlifting’s international squad rankings 

Through that link you will find the different age categories and their respective competitions. Under the specific competition, you may see text saying “preliminary rankings”, “final ranking before invites”, or “final ranking after invites”

Final rankings before/after invites mean that the qualification period has ended and the rankings are final. Preliminary rankings are from athletes who have competed at a qualifying event, but there are still one or more qualifying events left to go before the rankings are finalized.

Step 4: be top 2 in your weight class

Team USA will only send a maximum of 2 in each weight class

Coaches and athletes should be aware of the currently ranked athletes through the international squad rankings lists and plan accordingly.

It’s impossible to know if athletes will compete at certain competitions, what they will total, and if they will even accept their Team USA invite. There is an amount of calculated guesswork that goes into making teams.

Step 5: be top 10 overall (by % of A standard)

The top 10 lifters ranked by % of A standard will be invited to compete internationally. If a ranking is declined it will go to the next ranked person meeting all other criteria.

2 athletes will also be selected as alternates if they meet the criteria. 

Achieving this total is the first roadblock to cross when it comes to training. No matter what, you will not be eligible to compete without hitting this total in competition. So this needs to be the priority.

Step 6: Accept Your Invitation

Once you have done this, team USA will reach out to the email listed on your USAW card, then you’ll be required to fill out some paperwork and take a background check, and then you’re all set! The rest of the instructions will be provided to you and may be different from competition to competition, so stay up to date and always clarify if needed.

Hopefully, you found this helpful!

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below or ask in my free discord here!

By the way, I’ve got a free beginner weightlifting guide and a 6-week program! If you’re new to the olympic lifts, then check it out here!

And if you’re looking for a weightlifting program designed to help you set PRs, improve your technique, and get strong af, then check out a FREE WEEK TRIAL of my 3 & 5-Day OlyStrong Team at the link below!