FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 15, 2005

TO: All Media Outlets
FROM: Yukon Convention Bureau

YUKON TO HOST 2008 Junior World Championships!

WHITEHORSE, YUKON – The Yukon Convention Bureau (YCB), together with the Canadian Weightlifting Federation are pleased to announce 2008 Junior World Weightlifting Championships will be held in Whitehorse, Yukon May 1 – 10, 2008!

Yukon’s own Moira Lassen, Secretary General of the Canadian Weightlifting Federation and Jenn Houtby, Managing Director of the Yukon Convention Bureau traveled to Busan, Korea to make the pitch and secure this event for Yukon. The Yukon host committee is comprised of the following individuals; Tamara Goeppel, Jim Oster, Moira Lassen and Jenn Houtby, in addition to several national and international sport figures.

The Canadian Weightlifting Federation Halterophile Canadienne is the National Sport Body for Olympic Weightlifting in Canada. “The chance to host the Junior Worlds in Yukon is an exceptional opportunity to enhance the exposure of weightlifting in Canada, particularly in the north” says Moira Lassen, Secretary General of the Canadian Weightlifting Federation Halterophile Canadienne.

The Yukon has had it’s own successes in weightlifting at the Junior World level including Jeane Lassen who medaled at both the 1997 and 1998 Junior Worlds and Emily Quarton who has competed for Canada at the 2003 and 2004 Junior World Championships.

The Junior World Weightlifting Championships are held annually and are truly an international event. Yukon can expect to play host to an estimated 500 athletes and an additional 200 coaches and technical officials from 72 nations. Overall, YCB projects that this 10 day event will have an estimated economic impact of approximately $1.6 million dollars in direct spending for the territory.

The Yukon Convention Bureau is leading the charge to position the Yukon as a favorable destination for meetings & events. “We (YCB) want to ensure our venues are full beyond the 2007 Canada Winter Games and securing the Junior Worlds is a huge step forward. This will be the first major sporting event Yukon will host post-Canada Winter Games.,” explains Jenn Houtby CMP, Managing Director for the Yukon Convention Bureau.

In 2008 the eyes of the world will again be on Yukon, this time as we host the 2008 Junior World Weightlifting Championships.

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