Friendship Cup 2026
Lift big. Have fun. Do it together.
Saturday, December 5, 2026 · Synergy Weightlifting
Your first competition. Your next personal best. A day on the platform with people cheering you on.
The Friendship Cup brings our community together for a weightlifting event built around teamwork, big efforts, and the joy of lifting. Whether you’re new to competition or have stepped onto the platform a hundred times, you’re welcome here.
More opportunities to lift. More reasons to celebrate.
This isn’t a traditional weightlifting meet.
You’ll compete in teams of two across four competition platforms, with athletes grouped as closely as possible by strength and ability. A running clock keeps the lifting moving and the energy high.
In our team-format sessions, every athlete gets:
Four snatch attempts
Four clean & jerk attempts
A teammate to help choose weights, load the bar, and cheer you on
The opportunity to build a total and chase a competition personal best
Start with something solid. Build your confidence. Then make that fourth attempt count.
Serious effort. A welcoming atmosphere.
We want you to challenge yourself—and enjoy doing it.
The Friendship Cup uses relaxed lift standards, with no officials or red lights. Get the barbell overhead, control it, and finish the lift. A little press-out? We’ll allow it.
There are still a few ground rules, all explained in the Athlete Guide. The emphasis is on successful lifting, encouragement, and celebrating what you accomplish.
A day for our whole lifting community
The day includes women’s and men’s team-format sessions, plus dedicated opportunities for our younger athletes and SWAT programs.
Women’s Friendship Cup
Three waves of athletes completing snatch first, followed by clean & jerk.
SWAT Friendship Cup
A kettlebell ladder and powerlifting deadlift showcase for our SWAT powerlifting team and Saturday strength training programs.
SWAT Weightlifting Session
A dedicated two-hour session for our Saturday SWAT athletes, using the rising-bar format from past years. Athletes can take three to four lifts and aim for a new competition personal best.
Alpha Troops, SWAT High-Performance, and Men’s Friendship Cup
Four afternoon waves, beginning with Alpha Troops—our weightlifting program for new trainees aged 6–12—followed by SWAT High-Performance athletes and two men’s waves.
Preliminary event schedule
Schedule is preliminary. Review the Athlete Guide for detailed wave times and competition information.
Celebrate every kind of win
We’ll recognize individual performances using Sinclair-adjusted totals for men and women, along with combined team totals. We’re also introducing an award for highest team total improvement, with more details to come.
And we’ll be cheering for much more than the final numbers: first competitions, lifetime PRs, determined comebacks, and teammates who bring out the best in each other.
Ready to step onto the platform?
Give yourself something to train toward and a day to remember.
Join us at Synergy Weightlifting on December 5 for the Friendship Cup 2026.
REGISTER BELOW
Want to know exactly how the day works? Download the Athlete Guide for the full rules, lift standards, running-clock format, loading responsibilities, and preliminary schedule.
$45/ATHLETE
Weekend SWAT athletes are FREE (part of their membership fees)
ATHLETE GUIDE - RUES AND REGULATIONS