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2001 World Games,
Akita Japan
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Press Release: 7th World Games,
August 16 - 26, Akita City, Japan.
Competitors from USA Powerlifting will participate in the 7th World Games to be held for ten days in August in Akita City, Japan. The World Games, for the first time, is an affiliate of the International Olympic Committee. This prestigious multi-sport festival provides a venue for several sports which are currently a part of the Olympic Games, for those which are applying for Olympic Recognition, and for those with cultural significance to the International sports community. Representatives of the IOC will be present in Akita City to evaluate each participating sport for consistency with the Olympic ideal, audience appeal, organization, and compliance with International Anti-Doping Agency guidelines.
The World Games are held every four years, between Olympic Games. Athletes who best represent their sports are selected for participation. In order for an athlete to receive an invitation to compete, they must be member of an international sports federation that is recognized by the World Games Association, must be members of affiliate National Federations, and must meet the criteria defined by the International Olympic Committee for athletic participation. All regions of the world are represented.
There are currently 31 athletic pursuits represented. Powerlifting, by virtue of having been included in prior World Games, is considered a flagship event. Powerlifting enjoys an enormous fan base internationally, and is especially popular in Japan, which hosted the 2000 Men's World Championships. These championships demonstrated the viability and popular appeal of powerlifting, through well organized competition, standing room only crowds for every session, and consistent, fair application of doping control procedures. The Men's World Championships provided an opportunity for the Akita Organizing Committee to refine procedures to best manage the crowds expected, to organize media coverage of this event, and implement a system to assure this event reflects the ideals of the Olympic movement.
Powerlifting, by virtue of that success, is represented on the opening page of the 7th World Games Web page: http://www.wg2001.or.jp/engimg/ea0000.htm. Because of the popularity of powerlifting in Japan, the powerlifting competition will have its own Opening Ceremonies.
The World Games Association, and the Akita Organizing Committee have been preparing for this festival for several years. Publicity for this event has been ongoing and includes prominent banners in many communities in Japan, large, prominent signs in each international airport, and frequent articles in the popular press in Japan. As a result of this effort, a majority of the sporting events have been sold out for many months.
USA Powerlifting, as the new affiliate of the International Powerlifting Federation, will send athletes to the World Games for the first time this year. As the U.S. leader in drug tested powerlifting competition, competitors from USA Powerlifting are seen as representing the ideals of fair competition and adherence to the dictates of the International Olympic Committee as regards doping control. In addition, a number of U.S. powerlifters have proven successful in international competition while upholding these ideals. As a result, the Champions in USA Powerlifting competition are recognized as ambassadors of our sport worldwide. This was demonstrated this past summer in the invitation of Brad Gillingham, USA Powerlifting National Champion (97-2000) and 2000 Men's World Champion to Akita City to do advance publicity for the World Games. He offered demonstrations of powerlifting, met with members of the Japanese media, toured the sites of the World Games Events.
In 2000, a memorandum of agreement was signed by representatives of the International World Games Association, and the International Olympic Committee, acknowledging the importance of the World Games as a showcase of international sporting events. The memorandum is reproduced below.
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Team Roster
Women:
Less than 52 kg.:
Stefanie McMillian, Alexandria, Louisiana
Jennifer Maile, Anchorage, Alaska
Siouxz Hartwig, Laurel, Maryland
52 to 67.5 kg.:
Sandra Mobley, Laurel, Maryland
Angie Overdeer, Columbia City, Indiana
Over 67.5 kg.:
Leslie Look, Belgrade, Maine
Liz Willett, Deming, Washington
Harriet Hall, Anchorage, Alaska
Men:
Under 67.5 kg.:
Ervin Gainer, Indianapolis, Indiana
Tim Taylor, Belville, Illinois
Justin Maile, Camp LeJeune, North Carolina
67.5 to 100 kg.:
Ray Benemerito, New Jersey
Robert Wagner, Pennsylvannia
+100 kg.:
Tony Harris, Honolulu, Hawaii
Pat McGettigan, Blue Mounds, Wisconsin
Brad Gillingham, Minneota, Minnesota
Coaching Staff:
Larry Maile, Michael Overdeer, Gale Gillingham
James Benemerito, Jerry Daly.
Referee:
P.J. Couvillion
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Monaco, 27 October 2000
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International World Games Association (IWGA) today signed the following document:
Memorandum of Understanding
between
the International Olympic Committee (IOC)
and
the International World Games Association (IWGA)
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International World Games Association (IWGA) share the same value of promoting physical and sporting activities for the well-being of society.
The IOC recognises the importance of the World Games as a multi-sport event and agrees to support the IWGA and provide assistance based on the following principles:
The IOC will provide its expertise when needed and will maintain its cooperation with the IWGA through its Department of Sports, Olympic Games Coordination and Relations with International Federations, and will help to promote IWGA's activities within the Olympic Movement.
The IOC agrees to grant its patronage to Organising Committees of the World Games and to provide technical assistance through the transfer of knowledge programme.
The IWGA recognises the importance for athletes and officials in all sports to participate as a national multi-sport delegation at the World Games, and will therefore implement this new concept in future World Games.
The IOC will encourage the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) to support and assist their national multi-sport delegations taking part in the World Games.
The IWGA is willing to review and further develop the sports programme of the World Games with the help and input of the IOC.
The IWGA accepts that disciplines/events of sports that are not on the Olympic Games programme could be included on the programme of the World Games.
The IWGA shall ensure that only sports whose International Sports Federations are recognised by the IOC (ASOIF, AIOWF, ARISF), or are full members of GAISF, or are existing members of the IWGA, will be included in the World Games programme.
The IWGA shall continue to develop a close working relationship with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
The IOC also agrees to grant funding to the Organising Committees of the World Games for doping control, according to the Olympic Movement Anti-Doping Code.
Done in Monte Carlo, Monaco, on this 27th day of October 2000, in two originals in the English and French language.
Ron Froehlich
President
International World Games Association |
Juan Antonio Samaranch
President
International Olympic Committee
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