Burgener actually lifted enough weight to win the gold medal, but was forced to settle for the silver due to a technical mistake in determining the amount of weight to attempt on his final clean and jerk. The rules state that a weightlifter can only decide to increase the amount of weight for a specific attempt twice and Burgener and his coaches mistakenly requested to increase the weight on his final clean and jerk three times. Determining the amount of weight to attempt is strategic as each weightlifter gets only three attempts at the snatch and three at the clean and jerk. When Burgener came out for his final clean and jerk, he successfully lifted 224kg, but because of the rule, his second increase in weight was to 223kg, his lift was determined illegal and he had to settle for the 215kg that he made on his second attempt and thus the silver medal. Burgener had an official total of 392kg (177kg snatch; 215kg clean and jerk). Both his total and clean and jerk were personal records and for a short time he held the Pan American Games record. Had his final clean and jerk of 224kg counted he would have tied Christian Escalante of Chile, but Burgener would have won based on individual weight ratio.

Despite the controversy, Burgener was satisfied with the outcome.

“I am very happy that I made the lift,” said Burgener. “It’s never about winning, it’s about competing and being the best that you can be and I know that I did that today. I’m more happy with that than anything else. It feels great to win a medal”

USA Men’s Head Coach Roger Nielsen (Arlington Heights, Ill.) explained the circumstances that led to the controversy and reiterated how proud he was of Burgener’s performance.

“According to the rules, there are a set number of changes you are allowed to make,” said Nielsen. “Based on what we had done back here in the heat of the battle, we thought we had one change remaining, but the way it was interpreted by the officials we had used our changes so that made the final lift a no lift. I am incredibly proud of Casey. It was a huge effort. There was confusion and for him to go out there and make that lift in those conditions is even all the more impressive. It will make him and us be real positive going into the World Championship training cycle that he was able to pull these lifts off today. He did a great job. He did a super job and my only regret is that we weren’t just totally on top of every detail so that lift could have won the competiton.

Vargas won the silver medal with a total of 229kg (104kg snatch; 125kg clean and jerk). She finished behind Ecuador’s Seledina Nieve who posted a total of 260kg.

“Going into this meet I wanted to do bigger lifts than I did today,” said Vargas. “I think it’s just more fuel to the fire and I really want to pull out all of the stops at World, which means a lot to all of us for next year. That’s what I’m thinking of now. This is over and it’s on to Worlds now. I would have to say that I was already motivated for Beijing, but this definitely kind of put the bug in me that this is what’s it’s like, only bigger. I just want to be there and I’m going to do everything I can to make that team next year.”

The two silver medals today bring the 2007 U.S. Pan American Games Weightlifting Team medal total to four. Melanie Roach (Bonney Lake, Wash.) won bronze in the women’s 53kg weight class and Natalie Woolfolk (Arnold, Md./Colorado Springs, Colo.) won bronze in the women’s 63kg

2007 United States Pan American Games Weightlifting Team Results:

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Women’s 75+kg Weight Class
Gold; Seledina Nieve (Ecuador); 260kg total (110kg snatch; 150kg clean and jerk)
Silver: Emmy Vargas (Colorado Springs, Colo., USA); 229kg total (104kg snatch; 125kg clean and jerk)
Bronze; Yinelis Burgos (Dominican Republic); 215kg total (97kg snatch; 118kg clean and jerk)

Men’s 105+kg Weight Class
Gold; Christian Escalante (Chile); 401kg total (180kg snatch; 221kg clean and jerk-new Pan American Games records)
Silver: Casey Burgener (Bonsall, Calif./Colorado Springs, Colo.); 392kg total (177kg snatch; 215kg clean and jerk)
Bronze; Victor Heredia (Venezuela); 381kg total (166kg snatch; 215kg clean and jerk)


Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Men’s 94kg Weight Class
Gold; Yomandry Hernandez Cobras (Cuba); 393kg total (172kg snatch; 221kg clean and jerk-new Pan American Games record)
Silver: Julio Luna (Venezuela); 380kg total (170kg snatch; 210kg clean and jerk)
Bronze; Wilmer Herman Torres (Colombia); 376kg total (166kg snatch; 210kg clean and jerk)
Fifth Place; Jeff Wittmer (Florissant, Mo., USA); 355kg total (158kg snatch; 197kg clean and jerk)

Monday, July 16, 2007

Men’s 77kg Weight Class
Gold; Ivan Cambar (Cuba); 350kg total (156kg snatch; 194kg clean and jerk)
Silver: Jose Ocando (Venezuela); 337kg total (145kg snatch; 192kg clean and jerk)
Bronze; Octavio Mejia (Venezuela); 336kg total (151kg snatch; 185kg clean and jerk)
Fifth Place; Chad Vaughn (Konawa, Okla./Norman, Okla., USA); 332kg total (145kg snatch; 187kg clean and jerk)
Sixth Place; Matt Bruce (Baton Rouge, La., USA); 328kg total (148kg snatch; 180kg clean and jerk)

Women’s 63kg Weight Class
Gold; Leidy Yessenia Solis (Colombia); 224kg total (100kg snatch; 124kg clean and jerk)
Silver: Christine Girard (Canada); 221kg total (94kg snatch; 127kg clean and jerk)
Bronze; Natalie Woolfolk (Arnold, Md./Colorado Springs, Colo., USA); 213kg total (98kg snatch; 115kg clean and jerk)

Men’s 85kg Weight Class
Gold; Jose Oliver Ruiz (Colombia); 363kg total (160kg snatch; 203kg clean and jerk)
Silver: Jadier Valladares (Cuba); 363kg total (161kg snatch; 202kg clean and jerk)
Bronze; Herbis Marquez (Venezuela); 350kg total (155kg snatch; 195kg clean and jerk)
Fourth Place; Kendrick Farris (Shreveport, La., USA); 349kg total (158kg snatch; 191kg clean and jerk)

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Women’s 53kg Weight Class
Gold; Yudelquis Contreras (Dominican Republic); 207kg total (95kg snatch; 112kg clean and jerk – both Pan American Games records; Robin Goad of the USA had held the Pan Am Games record in the snatch since 1985)
Silver; Ana Margot Lemos (Colombia); 190kg total (84kg snatch; 106kg clean and jerk)
Bronze; Melanie Roach (Bonney Lake, Wash., USA); 182kg total (74 snatch; 108kg clean and jerk)

Women’s 58kg Weight Class
Gold; Alejandra Escobar (Ecuador); 223kg total (98kg snatch; 125kg clean and jerk)
Silver: Rusmeris Villar (Colombia); 204kg total (90kg snatch; 114kg clean and jerk)
Bronze; Maria Cecilia Floriddia (Argentina); 200kg total (90kg snatch; 110kg clean and jerk)
Sixth Place; Jackie Berube (Colorado Springs, Colo., USA); 191kg total (86kg snatch; 105kg clean and jerk)


Remaining 2007 U.S. Pan American Games Weightlifting Team Schedule:

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Time; Event; Athlete (Hometown); Venue
16:00; Women’s 75+kg Weight Class; Emmy Vargas (Colorado Springs, Colo.),; Riocentro Convention Center Pavilion 2
18:00; Men’s 105+kg Weight Class; Casey Burgener (Bonsall, Calif./Colorado Springs, Colo.),; Riocentro Convention Center Pavilion 2

For the Pan American Games, the United States Team consists of nine athletes (five men and four women).

2007 United States Pan American Games Team - Weightlifting

Women
Natalie Woolfolk (Arnold, Md./Colorado Springs, Colo.), 63kg Weight Class
Melanie Roach (Bonney Lake, Wash.), 53kg Weight Class
Emmy Vargas (Colorado Springs, Colo.), 75+kg Weight Class
Jackie Berube (Colorado Springs, Colo.), 58kg Weight Class

Men
Kendrick Farris (Shreveport, La.), 85kg Weight Class
Chad Vaughn (Konawa, Okla./Norman, Okla.), 77kg Weight Class
Matt Bruce (Baton Rouge, La.), 77kg Weight Class
Casey Burgener (Bonsall, Calif./Colorado Springs, Colo.), 105+kg Weight Class
Jeff Wittmer (Florissant, Mo.), 94kg Weight Class

Women’s Head Coach: Dennis Snethen (St. Joseph, Mo.)
Women’s Assistant Coach: Bob Morris (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Men’s Head Coach: Roger Nielsen (Arlington Heights, Ill.)
Men’s Assistant Coach: Kyle Pierce (Shreveport, La.)
Team Leader: Frank Eksten (Crown Point, Ind.)

For more information on the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, please visit: www.rio2007.org.br.

For more information, please contact Cecil Bleiker, USOC Manager of NGB Media Services on his Brazilian cell phone at 011-55-21-8890-3153. This press release is also available on the USOC’s media specific website at www.usocpressbox.org.