The World Team for USA Weightlifting is made up of the best weightlifters in the US, the lifters who have the best competitive potential for international competition like the IWF Worlds. It's at competitions like IWF Worlds where we earn our spots to the Olympics and the better we do at Worlds, the more athletes we can take to the Olympics. 

Because of this, the process and rules for making the World Team are very strict and include not only competitive totals but also international competition experience. We want the best of the best to make it to Worlds so we can earn all the spots we can at the Olympics. But what happens when one of the best doesn't meet the necessary requirements?

This past week we found out.

Sarah Robles, one of the best female weightlifters, in the US was popped for PEDs two years ago and has been serving a two year suspension since then. Because of her suspension, she couldn't compete in any sanctioned meets or meet any of the World Team qualifying requirements and the World Team was set without her on the roster.

This past week