Event Information Pack

Overview 

Weightlifting Wales is looking forward to delivering this year's Home Nations Open (autumn) on the weekend of 12–13 September at Bangor University.

For this competition, we will be trialing a Grand Prix format, with athletes grouped according to their best official competition totals, rather than traditional bodyweight categories.

This format is designed to create a faster-paced and more exciting competition for both athletes and spectators. By grouping lifters of a similar standard together, there will be fewer two-minute clocks and closer competition throughout each session. Regardless of bodyweight, athletes will compete alongside others of a similar lifting standard, making every group highly competitive.

Each competition group will be ranked and medals awarded on total lifted, rather than by bodyweight category. This ensures fair competition within each group while still allowing athletes of all bodyweight categories to compete together.

Athletes will still complete the normal weigh-in process, with all results uploaded to Sport:80. This means performances will continue to count towards national rankings and qualification for future events.

This format has been introduced for this edition of the Home Nations Open while the transition to the new International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) bodyweight categories takes place from August, as the Sport:80 competition platform has not yet been updated to accommodate the new categories.

Following the event, we will be asking athletes, coaches and officials for their feedback to help us review the format and consider whether it should be used for future Home Nation Open competitions.

Venue Location

The full address for this event weekend at Bangor University is as follows: 

Canolfan Brailsford Sports Centre

Ffriddoedd Road,

Bangor, 

United Kingdom, 

LL57 2EH

Our 'Home Nations Open' is an opportunity for any athlete no matter where they are located across the UK or beyond to compete in one of our Tier 2 events. There are NO qualifying standards in order to enter our Home Nation Open competitions and they are all OPEN for anybody to participate in them who is a British/Irish/any other nation Weightlifting member.

Entries for the Home Nations Open (Autumn) weightlifting event are live on Sport 80, with the entry closing date being on SUNDAY 23rd AUGUST at 11.59pm. Please note that the initial schedule cannot be confirmed until the entries have closed.

*For international/non-British athletes, entries will be made via an online form that can be sent to athletes on request.

Car:

There are good road links to Bangor along the north Wales coast, with the M56 and M6 in being the closest motorways. The town is mainly accessible via the A55 expressway, a major road that connects Northwest England to North Wales. Also, in most cases if driving from the South/North/East England region the fastest route to Bangor is the A55 expressway as well along the north Wales coast.

Coming from West Wales, it would be best to follow the A487 via Porthmadog and Caernarfon to the Bangor region. And from South Wales, our advice would be to follow the A49 through Hereford, Leominster and Shrewsbury, then follow Wrexham and Chester signs to the A55.

Free parking is available at the venue on a first come first serve basis. The car park is a wheelchair-accessible car park that provides designated accessible car parking spaces (there are a number of blue badge bays directly opposite the main entrance), alongside a wheelchair-accessible entrance to the venue itself. 

Bus:

Bangor Bus Station is located on Garth Road (next to Marks and Spencer). Each route has a number, which is displayed at the bus stop and on the bus itself. The main bus service operating in Bangor is Arriva. Timetables can be obtained at the bus station or on the bus services’ website: www.arrivabus.co.uk  or on the local Council website www.gwynedd.gov.uk under ‘Parking, Road & Travel’.

The Ffriddoedd Bangor University Campus in which Canolfan Brailsford Sports Centre is located on can be reached through the following bus routes: 5, X5, 5C, 42.

From further afield on a national scale, National Express and other coach services offer connections to Bangor from various cities across the UK.

Train:

Bangor benefits from excellent rail connections, providing an efficient and scenic way to reach the town. The main station, Bangor Railway Station, serves the city of Bangor, Gwynedd, is well-served by trains from various parts of the UK, through train operates Transport for Wales and Avanti West Coast. Bangor railway station is situated around 0.3 miles southeast of Canolfan Brailsford Sports Centre, which is only a short walk of around 15 minutes.

Bangor is on the main line to Holyhead and is served by regular direct trains from London Euston (around 3.5 hours travelling time), Manchester (around 2.5 hours travelling time), Birmingham (around 3 hours travelling time) and Cardiff (around 4 hours travelling time). Trains travelling from London will stop through various stations along the midlands, Crewe, Chester, and the North Wales coastal towns. Anyone coming from Manchester, Liverpool, or other parts of North West England can easily access Bangor via direct train services as well that link up with the North West coastal line.

General facilities at Bangor train station include a ticket office, sheltered cycle storage, waiting rooms, cafe, toilets and step free access coverage through various lifts, with a ramp for train access.

Upon arrival at the main entrance to the venue, which is accessed on a slight level, you met by power sided automatic double doors. Once in building itself, all corridor doors will be manually pull/push operated. An accessible toilet is available on the ground floor, with a refuge point being located by the main lift.

To find out a detailed plan of the whole venue building, we advise you to click the following link below which will take you through to a video that walks you through how to get round all the access points and other facilities of the Canolfan Brailsford Sports Centre, in a POV style.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gK433q0pr6Q

Note the following timecodes for the above video:

00:07 Vehicular Access

00:31 Parking

00:40 Entrance

00:49 Lifts

01:18 Facilities

01:35 Refuge Points

All weigh-ins will take place at the venue and athletes will be directed from the reception desk to the weigh in room. Competing athletes will need to take some form of identification with them when they go to weigh-in, so the Technical Officials can verify everyone. Female officials will only weigh-in female lifters, and male officials will only weigh-in male competitors. 

U12's-U17's info:

• Under 12's will not have their weight taken during this process 2hrs prior to their competition, but will attend to provide their entry weights and confirm competition details. 
• Under 13's - Under 17's who weigh above or below their entered weight category will lift in the group they have been scheduled to lift in, but their results will be put into the weight category that they fall into during the weigh in, which may be later on during the day. WW do not recommend that anyone under the age of 18 loses weight to compete in WW events. 

Lifters who are aged 18+ who do not fall within their selected entry category during weigh in are able to lift as a guest in the competition, but will not be placed in the competition results.

Weight class/announced total changes can be made up to 3 days prior to the competition by directly contacting admin@weightlifting.wales 

Tips for smooth a weigh in process:

• Arrive at your weigh-in at the start time indicated in the schedule, weigh-in lasts for 1 hour only. Missing weigh-in will mean you are unable to lift in the competition.
• Have to hand your photo ID e.g. passport / drivers license (for youth lifters who do not have either, a birth certificate will be accepted, if you do not have this, please contact WW ahead of the competition)
• Your competition lifting suit/attire must be worn when you step onto the scales. Please enter the weigh in room wearing this already (can be underneath other layers, which can then be removed before stepping onto the scales)*
• A guardian if you are under the age of 18 is advised
• Your opening attempts for the Snatch and Clean and Jerk (coach can make changes once your competition starts)

*250grams (0.25kg) are deducted from the lifter’s weight where they weigh above the maximum limit for their selected weight category, provided he/she is wearing the competition costume/singlet.

Note on U12 Entries via Sport80:
The Sport80 entry system, managed by British Weight Lifting, has not yet been updated for these regulations. U12 lifters should select any bodyweight category when entering online - this will be disregarded once entries close.

Find the document below which gives a full run down on the rules/procedures as well as the points scoring system for under 12 lifters at weightlifting competitions.

• Only coaches with a current BWL licence will be able to collect a coach accreditation (wristband) and any coach found passing their accreditation to another person will have their accreditation withdrawn and may be subject to further action after the competition. Any person found in the warm-up area without an athlete accreditation or coach wristband will be asked to leave the area immediately.
• Coaches must have a valid BWL coach license, DBS and safeguarding certificate in place. If any of these requirements are missing or have expired, you will not be able to coach in this event. Coaches are to collect their coaching wristband from Jake Eastwood at the Technical Desk on arrival to the venue, and should be prepared to show their valid BWL license on request. 
• Technical Officials should obtain their wristbands from the Technical Desk on arrival to the venue. 

Warm up area

You can find the below images of what the warmup area room looks like, and what the sort of setup you shall expect on the day, as well as a full approximate room layout.

In Weightlifting, you are permitted to use certain types of support and wear specific accessories of clothing during the competition. You should check the equipment you have is legal in weightlifting before your competition, as the Technical Controller may check this and tell you that your equipment is not allowed.

For more information on what type of clothing is permitted, as well as the full run down of the Technical Rules set by the International Weightlifting Federation, find the links below:

International Weightlifting Federation Technical Rules

On competition day, lifters have three attempts in the Snatch, and three in the Clean and Jerk. A lifter's best attempts in each discipline are combined to give a total, on which the ranking of the competition is based.

The referees will signal to the lifter when to put the bar down when they are satisfied the lift is complete and they will signal using a light system whether the lift was a 'good' or a 'no' lift. If a lifter receives two or more white lights, this is a 'good lift', if the lifter receives two or more red lifts, this is a 'no lift'.

Please remember the `foot touching the bar' rule: A no lift will be given if an individual uses his/her foot to move the bar before the attempt or puts their foot on the bar or plates before the attempt. 

Spectator tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite ahead of the competition. If you do not wish to do so, you will be expected to pay at the door as you enter through the main sports hall (cash only). To avoid any inconveniences on the day, we recommend purchasing your tickets ahead of the competition.

The link to the Eventbrite page for spectator tickets can be find below.

Home Nations Open (Autumn) tickets

Food/Drink and Refreshments

There will be a catering stall within the main sports hall of the venue where athletes can purchase food such as sandwiches, snacks and hot/cold drinks. Nearby, there is also a Morrisons, which is an 8 minute walk from the venue. 

Anti-Doping

This is a UK Anti-Doping sanctioned event. As such, UKAD can be present during the competition day and select lifters for anti-doping testing.

For more information on the changes within the 2026 World Anti-Doping Code, as well as the full prohibited, find the relevant link below to the area on the UKAD website.

https://www.ukad.org.uk/athletes/whats-banned-sport-prohibited-list

Photography

There will often be a WW staff member or external photographer at events taking photos and videos for promotional and advertising purposes. These may be used on our social media channels, our website, and on posters, to showcase our sport. 

If you decide on the day of competition that you do not want photos to be taken of you/your child, you must inform a member of the Weightlifting Wales team so he/she may inform the photographer.

Below is a guide on photography and video at events, as well as the attached infographic for advice on spectator photography.

WW/BWL Photography and Video Guidelines

Medical

There will be a paramedic team on site throughout the competition's duration.

Safeguarding

Our designated safeguarding lead is Simon Roach, who will on site in the venue during the whole day. If you suspect a safeguarding concern, please contact Simon Roach at simon.roach@weightlifting.wales , or report immediately to the front desk area who will communicate out for Simon.