I just ran across a page on a site (from 2002) about the state of Olympic Weightlifting in Portland, Oregon (here). It still rings true in most respects, but there is hope. Here’s an excerpt
Poster Child–Portland, OR Training Environment: In Portland, OR and surrounding areas we used to have some lip service support for Olympic lifting in the 70′s from the Multnomah Athletic Club (MAC) when Ken Patera lifted for them. The sport then had about 10-20 lifters in Oregon. However, Olympic lifting was still not liked by the gyms because of the noise generated by dropping of weights. Most of us, who were allowed entry as students or alumni, lifted at Portland State U., where Paul Ward, a college physical education teacher, lobbied and succeeded in having a weight room and a platform added to the new PE building. Lifters including Paul Thomas, Jim Fry, Pete Cline, Mike Martindale and others congregated there. Most were students or alumni. It was tough to get others permission to lift there because they were not alumni or students, so growth in the sport was limited to those who had access to the facility. Meanwhile, John Thrush promoted lifting out of Auburn High School in Washington in the Puget Sound area. His program is largely responsible for the present scope and size of lifting in the northwest. The sport has essentially died in Portland/Vancouver because there is no decent centrally located facility open to all lifters, regardless of whether they are students or alumni or whatever. When I say died, let me be more precise: Allen Regnier lifts at PSU as an alumnus. Eric Lumpkin, Chuck Krings and Bill Brian Olympic lift in Bill’s garage in Wilsonville (south of Portland) once a week. The conditions at 24-Hr Fitness in Portland/Vancouver are poor or unacceptable for our sport. Where there are platforms, the Olympic equipment is poor (bars without knurling or bent bars, no bumper plates or insufficient or broken bumper plates, missing collars and change plates.) In facilities where there are platforms, the music is often so loud that you cannot carry on a conversation. One location (Mall 205) has a platform but no bumper plates-only octagonal metal plates. Getting support from 24-Hr Fitness management for even modest improvements has not been successful. Efforts to gain entry into the MAC Club as a coach have met with failure. MAC sees no demand for the sport, so it refuses to admit anyone who knows something about the sport. Only Nick Munly remains as an Olympic lifter at MAC. Even so, Ken Patera’s picture hangs prominently on the lobby wall, as if the MAC Club is still trying to project the image that it supports our sport. This metropolitan area lifting environment is typical of the situation throughout most of the country. It serves as a poster child for the predicament that our sport is in and why we need help from the USAW to promote our sport.
That was 2002, this is (almost) 2008.
What’s changed? PDX Weightlifting at Loprinzi’s Gym on 42nd and Division. Loprinzi’s has always had 2 platforms, some old bumpers, and chalk. It isn’t perfect, but we can lift. Now, there exists a competitive club with a certified coach (me) that trains there 3 times a week.
In addition to my club, there are crossfit fascilites that are friendly to weightlifting (though they are usually not interested in competition, nor people using their gear without being a part of their crossfit community). These are at least bringing the term ‘olympic weightlifting’ into the vocabulary of ordinary people.
And PSU still is a player. I run an on campus recreation club dedicated to drumming up interest in the sport of Olympic Weightlifting and I coach there for free one night a week.
What does this mean? It means that there is a movement growing in this town. And if you have an interest in competing in the sport of olympic weightlifting, then you have at least a few options. Namely, you can join my club and train at Loprinzi’s.
OR, If you don’t want to pay me, and you don’t want to join a competitive club, but just want platforms to lift on, then you can join Loprinzi’s gym and lift to your heart content.
Barring that, you can join a crossfit gym and lift there. You aren’t stuck in your garage gym any longer.
So, if you have any interest at all in Olympic Weightlifting and have a question you can’t find an answer to, please email me at coach@pdxweightlifting.com
