A SQUAD OF 18 athletes have been chosen to go to the Commonwealth Games in Australia’s Gold Coast in April and take part in the weightlifting and powerlifting competitions.
The Games begin on 5th April. The Team England weightlifters will be competing in the clean & jerk and the snatch categories, while the para-powerlifters have their own competition category. Half of the team have been to the Commonwealth Games before – where they collected a tally of five medals from their past performances.
Four times British record holder Zoe Smith will be hoping to make it third time at the Commonwealth Games lucky. She was the first ever English woman to win a weightlifting medal back in Delhi in 2010 and went on to win gold in Glasgow in 2014, where she set a Games record.
Zoe said, “I am so excited to be attending my third Commonwealth Games, with a team of great people. After a tough two years missing out on the 2016 Rio Olympics through injury, I am determined to come back stronger and hopefully retain my title as Commonwealth champion.”
Glasgow 2014 bronze medallist and Team England ambassador Ali Jawad will be competing in the Para-Powerlifting discipline. He said, “After a tough 2017 battling Crohn’s Disease, I am delighted that I get to compete on the world stage again. I have some special memories representing Team England and I cannot wait to do it all over again.”
Some 600 athletes will be going to Australia – including athletes, who are competing in 18 different sports, and support staff.
British Weightlifting Chief Executive Officer Ashley Metcalfe said “”Our squad is a real blend of new and experienced lifters, highlighting the true breadth and depth of talent currently available in England. We are most grateful to both Team England and Sport England for their continued support in providing a great opportunity for all our squad to be well prepared and in great shape for the Games. It is hugely exciting and a great opportunity for all the squad to showcase their talents, all ahead of a home Games in 2022.”
•Read more about it: Oaklands weightlifters excel at British Championships Bronze for Taslima on weightlifting debut
[Adverts]