Beaufort's CJ Cummings to get a shot at Rio Olympics
C.J. Cummings found out late Tuesday night his 69-kilogram weight class would compete at 3 p.m. EDT Thursday at the Youth Pan American Championships in San Luis Potosi, Mexico.
The Beaufort 10th-grader's showing in that event could have a major impact on his chances of making Team USA for the IWF World Championships to be held Nov. 20-28 in Houston.
But no matter how the 15-year-old Cummings fares, he'll get his shot at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janiero.
"He will be invited to the Olympic trials in April," Team Beaufort coach Ray Jones said on Friday.
Jones said after Cummings record-setting performance at the National Championships in August in Dallas, they sat down with USA Weightlifting CEO Michael Massik and director of events and programs Phil Andrews to discuss Cummings' inclusion.
"We don't know when it's going to be in April," Jones said, "we don't know where it's going to be in April, but we know unequivocally, he's going to be invited to the Olympic trials. That's a free-for-all there."
Of course, there are more immediate goals.
The top eight American men will make Team USA for the World Championships, and six lifters are already locked in.
Ranked ninth, Cummings is fighting for one of the two remaining spots. Breaking his own personal record for total lift (306 kg, roughly 674 pounds) and winning the 69 kg weight class Thursday would likely do the trick.
"I want to make the (World Championship) team," Cummings said. "I'm definitely getting an invite to the Olympic trials, which we know are in April, but we don't know where at. We just have to leave it all out there, and hopefully I can get a spot on the Olympic team."
Cummings' chances for the World Championship team are made tougher by USA Weightlifting's decision to use "Place and Show" rankings, which have him ranked ninth, instead of the National Classification System.
The NCS, often referred to as "ability to medal" is used for determining the teams for every other USA Weightlifting competition. Cummings is ranked third using NCS.
Jones makes it clear there's no use fretting over the things they can't control, and Cummings will make the best of the situation. After the World Championships, they'll know how many remaining sports there will be for American men to go to the Olympics.
"If it's there, that's great," Jones said. "If it's not, that's OK, too."
Jones admits Cummings quest for Rio will be an uphill battle. But they have seven months of training before the trials.
"A lot of things have to fall into place," he said. "But when it's time to go out there in April, we're going to do what we've always done -- go out there and have fun and be fearless with the weights. And we're going to do what we can do."
As for Cummings, he's taking it in stride.
"I just take one step at a time," he said. "I have to do this weight, and then this weight to get to that weight. I just try to take it one lift at a time. I don't put too much pressure on myself."
Follow sports editor Mike McCombs on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/IPBGsports.
Related stories
- Beaufort's CJ Cummings competes this week at Youth Pan Am games in Mexico, Sept. 14, 2015
- Beaufort's CJ Cummings smashes American, world records on way to USA Weightlifting men's national championship, Aug. 14, 2015
This story was originally published September 16, 2015 at 11:23 AM with the headline "Beaufort's CJ Cummings to get a shot at Rio Olympics."