Today is the third and final day for keen spectators to watch some of New Zealand's best Olympic weightlifting athletes compete for gold in Tauranga this weekend.

Olympic Weightlifting New Zealand is presenting its 81st National Championships, the biggest weightlifting event of the year, supported by TECT and Tauranga City Council at Trustpower Baypark Arena.

The event is free to attend and brings together over 120 of the country's best athletes and their supporters to compete in Tauranga.

Session 8

'We have a lot of skilled athletes in New Zealand, several of which are well-placed to compete at the Tokyo Olympics,” says Richie Patterson, President of Olympic Weightlifting New Zealand.

"While it's unfortunate that the Olympics has been postponed, we're thrilled to host a National Championship event to showcase the dedication that all of our athletes have maintained throughout a year of uncertainty.”

The 2020 Olympic Weightlifting National Championships are being held at Trustpower Baypark Arena. Photo: Davie Warren/Photofitt

Richie says the sport has seen impressive growth over the last few years.

"We have a near-equal ratio of male and female athletes, a diverse age range and some standout youth athletes who are increasing the competition across the board."

He says the Bay of Plenty community has been very supportive, and an event like this couldn't happen without the generous contributions of our sponsors and funders.

The 2020 Olympic Weightlifting National Championships are being held at Trustpower Baypark Arena. Photo: Davie Warren/Photofitt

"Hosting a competition at a facility such as Trustpower Baypark Arena makes it much more accessible to everyone. We're encouraging those who are new to the sport - or perhaps life-long fans - to come support our athletes.

'As we look to the future, our goal is to bring international-level competitions here, such as Oceania or Commonwealths competitions.

The event is being live-streamed in partnership with Sky Sport Next for the second year running.

More information is available on Eventfinda: https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2020/olympic-weightlifting-national-championships/mt-maunganui

To access the livestream links for Sunday November 15:

Session 8 (M96, M102) 8.30am: https://youtu.be/4AXVYxAhGPY

Session 9 (W87, W87+) 11.45am: https://youtu.be/JDQV_12xPtM

Session 10 (M109, M109+) 2.00pm: https://youtu.be/y3Iqq3U_y6k

The 2020 Olympic Weightlifting National Championships are being held at Trustpower Baypark Arena. Photo: Davie Warren/Photofitt