First USA Weightlifting Nutrition Partner
Ascent Protein has become the official performance nutrition partner of USA Weightlifting prior to the 2018 International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Championships here in Turkmenistan’s capital.
As part of a multiple-year deal extending beyond the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Ascent will serve as the first performance nutrition partner in USA Weightlifting's 40-year history and will offer support to the national governing body's athletes, staff and members.
Ascent offers a full line of products that support "clean-eating, hard-working athletes dedicated to their nutritional goals".
It is committed to using real food ingredients, no artificial flavours or sweeteners, and is designed to improve muscle health and performance for health-conscious consumers.
All of Ascent's products are Informed-Sport-certified, meaning that each batch of Ascent is third-party tested to ensure they are free of any banned substances.
"Ascent and USA Weightlifting are closely aligned in our values and commitment to clean nutrition and clean sport," Paul Vraciu, Ascent's general manager, said.
"We are dedicated to providing USA Weightlifting athletes and members the opportunity to improve their performance through clean nutrition and assisting USA Weightlifting in growing the sport of weightlifting in the US."
USA Weightlifting says it is committed to clean competition and ensuring that its athletes and events are free of banned performance-enhancing substances.
"Ascent's mission is to naturally improve athletic performance, and they set the highest possible standard when it comes to clean, pure ingredients," Phil Andrews, USA Weightlifting’s chief executive, said.
"Sharing these similar values with USA Weightlifting provides the foundation for a strong partnership, and that's why we've decided to partner with a performance nutrition company for the first time in our history."
Among those athletes to whom Ascent will offer support is Jourdan Delacruz, a member of the United States' team for the 2018 IWF World Championships.
This year's edition of weightlifting's flagship event is due to take place at the Ashgabat Olympic Complex's Martial Arts Arena from November 1 to 10.
The US played host to the two most recent editions of the IWF World Championships, in 2015 in Houston and in 2017 in Anaheim.
Last year, Sarah Robles won the country's sole overall gold medal with victory in the women's over-90 kilograms category.
There were also bronzes for Harrison Maurus in the men's 77kg and Mattie Rogers in the women's 69kg.
The US failed to secure a single medal two years earlier in Houston.
*Story originally published on Inside the Games