3 September 2024
As the Team Manager for Weightlifting Wales at the Commonwealth Championships in Fiji this September, I am thrilled to report on an outstanding event that showcased both talent and sportsmanship. I would also like to thank Team Fiji for their hospitality, organisation and hard work in putting on such an exciting and well-run competition at the Vodafone Arena in Suva.
Our strong team of seven athletes that flew out to Fiji demonstrated incredible determination and skill, which included recording multiple personal bests for Charlotte Whalley, a total of four medals for three lifters, and valuable first international experiences for several others.
Nikole Roberts and Madaline Connelly competed on day one of the Championships for Wales, in the junior women’s 49kg and senior women's 55kg categories respectively. Nikole snatched 71kg, and clean & jerked 84kg which earned her a silver medal with a total of 155kg. An incredible performance, which as a result also placed Nikole on the podium in the senior category too, with the 155kg being good enough to earn her a bronze medal. For Madaline, competing at her first Commonwealth Championships, displayed great composure in lifting a 75kg snatch and 94kg clean and jerk, achieving an 8th place finish with a 169kg total.
On day two it was the turn of Charlotte Whalley, Mikey Farmer, Catrin Jones, and Bethan Watkins to take center stage for Team Wales. Competing in the junior women's 59kg category, Charlotte delivered a hugely impressive performance in gaining a silver meal for achieving a 176kg total for a 79kg snatch and 97kg clean and jerk. For Mikey in the 73kg senior men's category it wan earning of a 5th place final position, from his impressive 129kg snatch and 153kg clean and jerk for a 282kg total. A super performance by Catrin in the senior women's 59kg category, with a snatched 83kg and clean and jerked 102kg, which secured her a spot on the podium with a bronze medal from a total score of 185kg. However, unfortunately for Bethan Watkins in the senior women's 64kg category, it was not to be her day as she sustained an injury on her second snatch attempt at 83kg and exited the competition. We wish her all the very best in her recovery from the injury she picked up.
Finally, on day three was our final remaining athlete of the Team Wales squad, Ed Gibson. In the junior men's 89kg category, Ed gave it his all by earning a snatch of 117kg, and clean and jerk of 153kg, which positioned him 10th overall for the session. This capped off a fabulous three days of performances by Team Wales, with some great success's to show from it all.
As the first international competition for our new coaching team as well, this was an excellent opportunity to bring the team together, establish stronger relationships and continue to build towards the shared aim of success as a nation on the international stage, and hopefully in a future Commonwealth Games in 2026.
Overall, this Championship was a tremendous success for the Welsh team, and I couldn't be prouder of our team’s achievements and resilience, considering the travel, jet lag and high level of competition. Thanks also goes to Sport Wales for their support and the specific work done by Esther Goldsmith and her team around the travel preparation, as well as the National Lottery for its continued support.
We are looking forward to building on this experience for when the next Commonwealth Championships comes around next year.
For detailed results of the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships 2024, you can check them out here:
