New Zealand's best Olympic weightlifting athletes compete for gold in Tauranga

New Zealand weightlifter David Liti will compete in Tauranga this weekend. Photo / File

Tauranga is set to host Olympic Weightlifting New Zealand's 81st National Championships.

The free event will be held at Trustpower Baypark Arena from tomorrow through to Sunday and will feature weightlifters such as David Liti, Cameron McTaggart, and Kanah Andrews-Nahu.

Olympic Weightlifting New Zealand president Richie Patterson said the event will bring together more than 120 of the country's best athletes and their supporters to the Bay of Plenty.

"We have a lot of skilled athletes in New Zealand, several of which are well-placed to compete at the Tokyo Olympics.

"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," he said.

"Our sport has seen impressive growth over the past 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."

Patterson said hosting a competition at a facility such as Trustpower Baypark Arena made 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 this weekend. As we look to the future, our goal is to bring international-level competitions here, such as Oceania or Commonwealths competitions.

"In the meantime, we're looking forward to hosting the biggest weightlifting event of the year," Patterson said.

The event will also be live-streamed in partnership with Sky Sport Next for the second year running.

More information on the event is available here.