{"id":2241,"date":"2019-09-20T16:01:00","date_gmt":"2019-09-20T07:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/inst\/tokyo\/?p=2241"},"modified":"2020-01-16T16:13:22","modified_gmt":"2020-01-16T07:13:22","slug":"waseda-sports-u-s-weightlifting-team-holds-training-camp-at-waseda-ahead-of-world-championships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/inst\/tokyo\/news-en\/2019\/09\/20\/2241\/","title":{"rendered":"[Waseda Sports] U.S. weightlifting team holds training camp at Waseda ahead of World Championships"},"content":{"rendered":"

Members of the U.S. <\/span>w<\/span>eightlifting team held a training camp at Waseda University from September 12-17 in advance of the World Championships in Pattaya, Thailand. We spoke with the coach and members of the team, including a Rio Olympics bronze medalist, about their thoughts and team policies for the upcoming World Championships and the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.<\/span><\/p>\n

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training in the gym<\/p><\/div>\n

[Team USA profiles]<\/span><\/p>\n

Coach Mike Gattone: USA Weightlifting Senior Director of Sport Performance and Coaching Education<\/span><\/p>\n

Katherine Nye: Gold medalist at the 2019 Junior World Weightlifting World Championships<\/span><\/p>\n

Harrison Maurus: Bronze medalist at the 2017 World Weightlifting Championships<\/span><\/p>\n

Sarah Robles: Bronze medalist at the 2016 Rio Olympics<\/span><\/p>\n

Morghan King: Competed at the 2016 Rio Olympics<\/span><\/p>\n

— Why did you choose to make Waseda University your training base?<\/span><\/p>\n

Coach Mike Gattone: \u201cOne reason is the distance to the World Championships in Thailand (from the U.S.). Also, the Tokyo Olympics are next year, and I thought it would be a good opportunity for the athletes to visit Tokyo this time of the year.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

–What are your impressions of the training camp in Tokyo?<\/span><\/p>\n

Coach Mike Gattone: \u201cThe hotels and meals have been fantastic, and the people are wonderful. The weight lifting area is also comfortable, and the athletes enjoy their training.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

–What are the goals of this camp?<\/span><\/p>\n

Katherine Nye: \u201cThe first is to prepare for the World Championships. We can also know our physical condition and adjust our conditioning, and learn about Tokyo, the host of the Olympics.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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training in the gym<\/p><\/div>\n

–Tell us about your aspirations for the World Championships.<\/span><\/p>\n

Coach Mike Gattone: \u201cWe want to win some medals in order to be in a good position in the rankings for the Tokyo Olympics. We have a lot of athletes who can win a medal. The women are strong, and there are 2 or 3 contenders among the men.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Katherine Nye: \u201cI want to do my best since this is the first time I\u2019ll be competing as a senior at the World Championships. And I want to give it my all for the Olympics next year. I think the training camp provides a great opportunity to experience the atmosphere of Tokyo.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Harrison Maurus: \u201cI want to perform better than the last time and beat my personal best if possible.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sarah Robles: \u201cThe goal of the World Championships is to take your personal best and score points for the Olympics. I want to compete in the Olympics and be the first in the U.S. to win consecutive medals.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Harrison Maurus<\/p><\/div>\n

–You are moving up to senior from junior class. What\u2019s your take on that?<\/span><\/p>\n

Katherine Nye: \u201cThere is a lot of pressure in being a senior, but with the Olympics on the horizon, you have to compete against people from all over the world. That said, I\u2019m glad to be a senior.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

–What are the strengths of Team USA?<\/span><\/p>\n

Coach Mike Gattone: \u201cWe are a large country and have a deep pool of talented and promising athletes. In particular, we have many strong female athletes, which is a different strength America has over other countries. Since we also have a large population, the quality of skills naturally rises as athletes aim for the top, which I think is a strength.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

–What are you particularly aware of in leading Team USA?<\/span><\/p>\n

Coach Mike Gattone: \u201cSince the athletes are also being paid, I am conscious of giving them as many opportunities and environments as possible in training camps like this one.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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training in the gym<\/p><\/div>\n

–What is your personal strength?<\/span><\/p>\n

Katherine Nye: \u201cThe snatch is my specialty. I\u2019m also confident that I\u2019m mentally strong. But, I\u2019m not overconfident. That\u2019s a strength, I think.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Harrison Maurus: \u201cMy strength is the squat. I think I\u2019m better at the back squat and front squat than other athletes. The same goes for the mental aspect, too.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sarah Robles: \u201cOne is physical. I’m strong in terms of the level of my power. Another is mental. You have to be persistent and never give up. That\u2019s a strength.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Sarah Robles<\/p><\/div>\n

–What do you enjoy about weightlifting?<\/span><\/p>\n

Harrison Maurus: \u201cThat I\u2019m able to increase my skills training every day.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sarah Robles: \u201cI\u2019ve gained great friends and a chance to go to different places through competing. When it comes to competing, it makes you strong. It\u2019s a joy to know that you have more strength than you imagined.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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training in the gym<\/p><\/div>\n

–Tell us about your impressions of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics<\/p>\n

Morghan King: \u201cSince it was my first Olympic Games, the atmosphere of the venue made an impact. The scenery you saw on TV was right in front of me, and I will never forget the feeling of being there. The most memorable was the closing ceremony, when Japanese Prime Minister Abe dressed up as Mario. I couldn\u2019t help but laugh.\u201d<\/p>\n

–What are your impressions of the Olympic test event (held on July 6-7, 2019)?<\/p>\n

Coach Mike Gattone: \u201cIt was great. The competition venue was magnificent and the atmosphere of the arena for weightlifting was positive.\u201d<\/p>\n

–Tell us about your hopes and aspirations for the Tokyo Olympics?<\/p>\n

Coach Mike Gattone: \u201cI want to win around 3-5 medals. At the very least, I want to win one each for the men and women. Winning more than three is a big goal, but I recognize that we have to put a huge amount of energy into that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Morghan King: \u201cI want to finish in the top eight, and will work to achieve that goal. However, it\u2019s only been six years since I started weightlifting, so my first goal is to be in the top eight. This training camp in Tokyo has been a good chance to experience the city.\u201d<\/p>\n

Katherine Nye: \u201cMy goal is to win a medal, so I want to do as much as possible to that end.\u201d<\/p>\n

Article and photography: Hotaka Ito\u00a0, Waseda Sports Magazine<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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