Weigntlifting News.

WeightliftingBritish under 13 champs.

Another excellent day for Woking’s Really Useful Muscle club in the British under 13 weightlifting champs.. Three contestants made their way to Kilwinning in Ayrshire last Friday for a very early Saturday start. It was well worth it.

First on the platform, Richard Knox exceeded his personal best Clean & Jerk, & made a respectable 25 kg. Snatch to win the under 13 40 kg. class. He weighs just 37 kg.. His victory was clinched by having not only the highest total lifted, but also the highest score in the entire event for technical merit.

Josh Elliott, at 53.6 kg. won the 56 kg. class, Snatching 33 kg. and Jerking 49, both personal bests.

Chi Chea won the 50 kg. class easily. He was a little nervous and did not attempt his best lifts, being aware of the need to avoid any failures, and to accumulate high points for technical merit. The strategy paid off to give him his fourth consecutive British title: two at under 11, one at under 13, and one British Schools. On 13 July his two older brothers will compete in the British senior championships. It will be a unique event should three brothers simultaneously hold British Champion titles!

Brian Hamill

From the Woking WL Club:

Tony (Chi) Chea and Josh Elliott won the under 13 sections of the UK Schools on 10 March in 45 and 50 K class respectively. Club coach Brian Hamill reports a surge in sports people joining his club as a result of their coaches realising that modified Olympic lifting is an essential training tool. He hopes one or two will make the switch to Weightlifting.

At last one local school has woken up and he will go there for 8 sessions to try to get kids to sign up to his club. It will not be easy as it is a predominantly Muslim school and the Woking Muslim community has never produced a lifter in 30 years. It is the Sikhs from the Indian continent who, in UK, have provided the bulk of our asian lifters. Can someone explain that to him?