The Ark School of Fitness will on Saturday host the Gator Weightlifting Winter Open, a meet that serves as a qualifier for the USA Weightlifting’s University Nationals in Columbus, Ohio.
The Winter Open is a collaboration with the Gator Weightlifting Team, which boasts the reigning men’s national champions and the 2022 women’s national champions. The recent successes are notable because the team has club and not varsity status at the University of Florida.
Michael Espinosa coaches the team, and he is also the founder of The Ark Fitness. Espinosa, a University of Florida graduate, opened The Ark in 2012 after developing a passion for Olympic weightlifting. He has now coached weightlifting for 12 years. The open-air gym is “Gainesville's only not-for-profit gym, dedicated to fostering a community of strength and fitness enthusiasts,” according to a press release.
“We have probably the greatest concentration of really high caliber athletes that we’ve ever had even though it’s a small meet,” Espinosa said.
One of the athletes who will be competing is Julian Maldonado, a senior at UF and vice president of the Gator Weightlifting club.
“I’m personally excited to get back on the platform and prove to myself that I can still perform at my best, despite the inconsistent training these last few months,” Maldonado said. “I haven’t competed since Nationals of last year and I want to show up to this year’s Nationals better than ever.”
Maldonado said he is also looking forward to the club’s newest members competing for the first time.
“Our club has had a sharp increase in members this academic year and many lifters will get to show off their hard work,” he said.
Coby Rhodes, a junior at UF who is club president, echoed Maldonado’s enthusiasm and touted the importance of being able to host qualifying events in Gainesville.
“It’s a big opportunity for our own athletes to not have to travel and be able to compete and put up qualifying numbers in the gym that they normally practice at, and they consider home,” Rhodes said. “It’s also cool to bring people from out of state into Florida.”
He noted that several competitors will be traveling from states like Georgia, and many of the other schools’ lifters are on scholarship as opposed to those at UF.
"We're just a club team with Rec Sports,” Rhodes said, “so everyone’s just doing it for fun and because they want to.”
The Winter Open has been recognized as a National University Qualification event since 2020 by USA Weightlifting, and it is one of three meets held each year at The Ark. While its fall meet typically brings out the most athletes, Rhodes said he believes the competition level is highest at the Winter Open.
“There’s some densely packed sessions with a lot of talent,” Rhodes said. “There's one men's session and one women’s session. In both sessions there's former Team USA lifters, former collegiate national champions, and all-Americans … it’s probably the most spectator friendly.”
Although watching a weightlifting competition may not sound to some people like the most fun way to spend a Saturday, Espinosa’s description of the sport may change minds.
“It’s a ballet,” he said. “And it’s heavy lifting, heavy weight, but there’s a level of focus and athleticism that comes with it.”
Espinosa isn’t alone in his hopes for a large community turnout. The entire Gator Weightlifting Team, especially Maldonado, would love to see a Gainesville crowd come out and support them.
“One of the biggest challenges that Olympic weightlifting faces is lack of publicity,” Maldonado said. “If you have never heard about Olympic weightlifting or have seen a few videos online and thought it looked cool, I highly encourage you to come watch.”
The Gator Weightlifting Winter Open will be held Saturday at The Ark School of Fitness, 22 NE 11th Street. The men will lift from 10 a.m. to noon, and the women will lift from noon to 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $5.