FORDE, NORWAY - One of Lenoir-Rhyne's own, Ryan Grimsland, will be representing Team USA at the World Weightlifting Championships in Forde, Norway, on Monday, October 6th, at 11 a.m. ET.

The competition consists of a snatch and clean & jerk lift. The combined total of those two lifts determines the placing of competitors. 

"I'm extremely excited to be back on the world stage again," said Grimsland. "With the new weight classes and how stacked my weight class is this year, it is going to be a fun battle for a spot on the podium."

Grimsland, who hails from Lewisville, N.C., has been weightlifting for 10 years. His main coach, Travis Mash, founded the Lenoir-Rhyne weightlifting team in 2020, of which Dr. Alex Koch is now the director. At just 23 years old, Grimsland already has plenty of hardware to his name. He won gold at the 2021 Junior Pan American Games and in the 73kg division at the 2023 IWF Grand Prix. He posted a silver medal performance in the 73kg division at the 2023 Pan American Championships and a bronze at the 2022 Junior World Championships. He is one of just 16 Americans heading to Norway for the championships, and one of two in the 79kg (174lbs) division. 

Grimsland enters the competitions with a combined total of 340kg (749lbs). His competition bests are 152kg (335lbs) in the snatch and 190kg (419lbs) in the clean & jerk. He has shown solid improvement in recent training sessions, as last week he clean and jerked 193kg (426lbs). 

"It is a privilege to have an athlete as talented as Ryan on the Lenoir-Rhyne barbell team," said Director Koch. "He is a role model for our athletes, not only in the massive way he lifts, but the way he carries himself. Ryan is friendly, humble, and always eager to help his teammates. He is a real joy to have in the weight room."

Grimsland is in the 79kg B group and will compete at 11:00 a.m. ET on Monday, October 6th. To view the results of his competition, click HERE.