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Apopka weightlifter named to US Olympic team

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From Staff Reports

The Summer Olympics start on July 23rd and for one Apopka resident, this is the day she's been waiting for.

Mattie Rogers, a native of Apopka and University of Central Florida graduate, was among four women and four men selected to the USA Weightlifting Olympic team, which will compete in Tokyo this summer.

Rogers, 25, is a two-time IMF World Championship silver medalist, the 2020 Pan-American champion, the FISU World University champion, and holds eight current American and two Pan American records. She also was the first American woman to medal at three consecutive world championships.

Mattie Rogers

“I’ve been working and trying for so long, and I was so close to the last Olympics," Rogers said. "I sat in the stands and watched my session in Rio and that really fueled my fire. I’ve worked every day since towards this goal. To be named an Olympian is a dream come true.”

Before weightlifting, Rogers competed in cheerleading and gymnastics. She began training in CrossFit when she was 17 years old. After one year, she competed in her first weightlifting meet. In 2014, she made her International Weightlifting Federation debut at the 2014 IWF Pan-American Junior Championships. She made her senior-level debut a year later at the 2015 World Championships where she finished 15th overall with a total of 226 kg.

In 2016, Rogers narrowly missed qualifying for the 2016 Summer Olympics. She was awarded best overall lifter at the 2016 National Championships, and Olympic Trials, but did not qualify for the Olympic Games.

apopka, Champion, Mattie Rogers, Medals, Summer Olympics, USA Weightlifting Olympic team, Weightlifting

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