Anaheim will host the International Weightlifting Federation World Championships Nov. 28 to Dec. 5, 2017 after Penang, Malaysia, backed out of the role.
Visit Anaheim, which markets Anaheim and Garden Grove as a destination for business and leisure, has been pushing to host sporting events in Orange County. Its Sports Anaheim division staged last weekend’s CCA Division II college basketball tournament that it recently acquired.
The IWF World Championships are produced by USA Weightlifting, which is part of the U.S. Olympic Committee, based in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Visit Anaheim Vice President for Sports Development Roy Edmondson said the agreement to bring the event to Anaheim stems from talks that took place at the recent Olympic Games in Rio, where he traveled to meet with representatives of governing bodies of various sports and other athletic groups.
“While I was in Rio (this summer), it was clear (the IWF) was interested in seeing what other venues were available,” Edmondson said. “We were very quickly able to (commit to) the event.”
