Jeffrey Michael Wittmer (born September 30, 1984) in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...

is a

weightlifter Weightlifting or weight lifting generally refers to physical exercises and sports in which people lift weights, often in the form of dumbbells, barbells or machines. People engage in weightlifting for a variety of different reasons. These can ...

for the

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. Getting his start in his basement gym Jeff won his first 50 competitions. Jeff is featured on the cover of the book ''Explosive Lifting for Sports'' by Harvey Newton. He holds multiple national titles and records. Jeff graduated from

Hazelwood West High School Hazelwood West High School is a public high school located in Hazelwood, Missouri. It is one of three high schools in Hazelwood School District (HSD) in St. Louis County, Missouri St. Louis County is located in eastern Missouri. It is boun ...

in 2003. After graduation, he accepted an invitation to the

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. At the 2006 World Championships he ranked 26th in the 94 kg category, with a total of 338 kg. His most notable performances include 5th place at the

2007 Pan American Games The 2007 Pan American Games, officially known as the XV Pan American Games () and commonly known as Rio 2007, were a major Americas, continental multi-sport event that took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 13 to 29, 2007. A total of ...

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. He won a silver, and two bronze medals at the 2008 Pan American Championships in

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, in the 94 kg category, with a total of 347 kg. He is known for his extreme flexibility and gutsy performances. Jeff was a favorite to make the 2-man Olympic team for the 2008 Summer Olympics, but fell just short at the Olympic Trials in

Atlanta, GA Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County and extends into neighboring DeKalb County. With a population of 520,070 (2024 estimate) living within the city limits, At ...

Notes and references

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wittmer, Jeffrey 1984 births Living people American male weightlifters Sportspeople from St. Louis Weightlifters at the 2007 Pan American Games Pan American Games competitors for the United States 20th-century American sportsmen 21st-century American sportsmen