The Weightlifting Wales Development Squad is a key part of the national performance pathway, designed to identify, nurture, and prepare promising youth and junior lifters for potential transition to the senior squad, as well as participating at national and international competitions. It acts as a progression stage towards Welsh representation, focusing on long-term athlete development (LTAD).
The purpose of the development squad is to:
- Build technical excellence in the aspects of weightlifting/para-powerlifting
- Develop physical, psychological, and lifestyle skills
- Prepare athletes for major competitions and elite environments
Development Squad athletes are typically invited to attend 3-5 training camps per calendar year, often held at high-performance venues like the Sport Wales National Centre in Cardiff, and Canolfan Brailsford Sports Centre in Bangor. In these camps, athletes will receive structured technical support from our National Head Coach, Gareth Evans, as well as our regional coaches. Another feature to the development squad training camps is guidance away from the platform too, through the support of; injury prevention sessions, nutrition workshops, recovery strategies, psychological development, anti-doping education, to name a few. These are often delivered by external partner professionals, such as the Sport Wales nutrition team.
The development squad environment and culture is designed to build a friendly cohesion amongst the group, in a place where everyone encourages each other and team-based activities are welcomed.
Take a look at the profiles of our current development squad.
