Matt Sicchio Extended as USAW President & CEO

COLORADO SPRINGS—The USA Weightlifting board of directors has approved a three-year contract extension for USAW President & CEO Matt Sicchio that will keep him at the helm of the organization through 2029. Sicchio was initially hired in 2022 on a four-year deal and has overseen numerous milestones, including: three consecutive years of positive net assets and clean financial audits; a 23% growth in sponsorship revenue from 2022 to 2025; securing Direct Athlete Support (aka, stipends) for high performance athletes and a 30% increase in annual financial support from the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC); and more than 5,000 competing athletes per year at USAW national events.

Under Sicchio, USAW celebrated a successful resolution of the 2021 USOPC audit findings, which led to a 2023 recertification by the USOPC of USAW as the National Governing Body (NGB) of weightlifting in the United States. USAW then saw a 23% increase in compliance in the 2025 audit which included zero deficient findings in the areas of governance and compliance, financial standards and reporting, athlete protection and rights, sport performance, and operational performance.

Watch: Matt Sicchio on the Last Set Best Set podcast

“Matt has led USA Weightlifting through a period of meaningful progress both on and off the platform, and the board of directors is pleased to extend his contract through 2029,” USAW board of directors chair Michael Choi said. “Under his leadership, USAW has strengthened its financial position, bolstered organizational credibility with the USOPC, expanded athlete support opportunities, and achieved historic competitive success on the international stage. Just as importantly, he has built a professional and mission-driven headquarters team focused on long-term sustainability and service to our members. As we look toward the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and beyond, the Board believes continuity, stability, and strategic focus are critical to maximizing this unique moment for USA Weightlifting. We are excited about the momentum of our organization and confident in Matt’s leadership as we continue building for the future.”

Sicchio joined USA Weightlifting following two and a half years as the Chief Operating Officer at the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and more than 15 years in the sports industry. His tenure thus far with USAW has been marked by a surging national team, including Olivia Reeves and Hampton Morris earning Olympic medals at Paris 2024, the women’s team claiming the 2025 Senior World Championships title while the men finished third overall, multiple record medal hauls at international competitions, and a reimagining of the sport performance program with the launch of the National Team Program (NTP).

Grassroots sport development highlights include a commitment to coaching excellence, with USAW certifying an average of 2,000 coaches per year, returning a 4.7/5 average coaching course rating, and launching five new elite education courses in 2025. Under Sicchio’s watch, USAW continues to deliver premier member experiences across five national competitions per year, which resulted in 122% growth across event and spectator revenue in 2025. USAW secured the most significant sponsorship deal in the history of the organization when Virus Intl. joined as both the official apparel and singlet sponsor through 2028, and the title sponsor of USAW’s annual national event series. Long-time core partner Rogue Fitness was also re-signed as the official equipment partner of USAW through 2028. USA Weightlifting now serves over 21,000 individual members and more than 850 clubs across the country. The organization also sanctions over 500 local competitions per year across the United States.

“It has been a great honor to lead USA Weightlifting for the last three-plus years,” Sicchio said. “I want to thank the board of directors for affirming the path we are on and continuing to trust in me and our headquarters team to push our organization to new heights. It is a privilege to serve alongside a best-in-class group of professionals in our national office. We’re a small team of 14 employees with a massive scope of responsibility and a clear track record of producing excellence; I am grateful to call each of them a teammate. I didn’t grow up as a weightlifter, but this is a sport I have quickly come to love as an athlete and CEO. The passion that runs through this community is something I feel every single day and the responsibility to steward the organization in service of that passion is one I take extremely seriously. As I look toward the future, we are an organization on the rise on and off the platform. We continue to be an example of strong governance, operations, and financial performance; we have a deep and talented group of elite athletes who can compete with any other team in the world; and we have what I believe is the most passionate weightlifting community on the planet. With the greatest stage in sport coming to home soil in 2028, I’m excited to share our sport, our athletes’ stories, and our passion with the world. As we look toward the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and beyond, our commitment to excellence is stronger than ever.”