Jackson to Compete in Olympic Lifting National Championships

By webmaster - Saturday 4 May 2007 - Nr 344

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. – Women’s bobsled 2007 America’s Cup Champion Jamia Jackson (Flagstaff, AZ) extended her stay in Lake Placid this season to train with USOC Head Strength and Conditioning Coordinator Jon Carlock for the Olympic Weightlifting National Championships being held in Schaumburg, IL from May 11-13.

“Jamia is an extremely strong, motivated athlete and her results reflect that,” said Carlock. “If she lifts to her capabilities there is no doubt in my mind she will be able to medal. She has trained appropriately for bobsledding and through that she was able to qualify for nationals in her first weightlifting competition.”

Jackson became interested in Olympic lifting when a strength and conditioning coach at Northern Arizona University suggested it to her. Jackson began training at the Peaks Weightlifting Center in Flagstaff, AZ and competed in two local competitions, winning her weight class division both times which qualified her for National Championships.

Jackson also qualified for the American Open, held in Birmingham, AL this past December, but was unable to attend as her focus was on bobsledding. Qualified in both the 69K and 75K weight classes, Jackson plans on making her final decision on which weight class she will compete in after arriving in Schaumburg on May 10.

“I’m qualified in both weight classes, so now it’s about seeing where I can have my best performance and be the most competitive,” Jackson said.

If competing in the 69K weight class, Jackson will lift at 3 pm on Saturday, May 12 at the Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center in Schaumburg, IL. The 75K weight class will lift at 12 pm on Sunday, May 13.

The competition focuses on two lifts, the snatch and the clean and jerk. Each athlete is given three attempts at each lift. According to Jackson, the transition from bobsledding to Olympic lifting was not hard since the lifts she needs to execute at competition were already a part of her program.

“When I decided to pursue Olympic lifting more seriously, I had to be more technical and lift heavier weights,” said Jackson. “Jon has gotten me on the right track and my numbers have increased since I started working with him.”

Jackson started training for Nationals seven weeks ago after undergoing rehab and physical therapy for a knee and shoulder injury she suffered during bobsled Junior World Championships training. Considering the circumstances and time frame, Jackson feels she is prepared to the best of her abilities.

“My goal is the be in the top three and podium. I am very confident. I just need to stay focused and execute the things that I have been working on,” said Jackson.

When asked what the future holds in the sport, Jackson said, “It depends on how things go at this competition. Bobsledding is still number one to me, but I would love to be able to do Olympic lifting on the side.”

After National Championships, Jackson will go to Chula Vista, CA to continue her training for bobsledding. Looking ahead to next season, Jackson plans to compete on World Cup and be a contender at World Championships.

About the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation The United States Bobsled and Skeleton Federation, based in Lake Placid, N.Y., is the national governing body for the sports of bobsled and skeleton in the United States. The USBSF would like to thank its sponsors, suppliers and contributors for their support: Allianz Life, Columbia Sportswear Company, CW-X, KBC Helmets, Schenker Logistics, Speedo and Whelen Engineering. For more information, please visit the USBSF Web site at www.usbsf.com.