Weightlifting Wales were delighted to host the 2024 Celtic Nations Championships on Saturday 2 December, welcoming Scottish and Irish delegates to Bangor.  

Attendees were treated to a brilliant spectacle, with youth, junior and senior athletes competing fiercely throughout.  

The scene was set at Bangor University’s Canolfan Brailsford for the three nations to go head-to-head, and it was the Youth Girls category that kicked things off in the first session of the day.  

Wales’ Grace Morris earned a rapturous applause with the final lift of the session as she set a new Welsh U17 Girls record, Jerking a personal best of 100kg.  

It was, however, Scotland who came out on top, with Niamh Llewellyn the only lifter to go six from six and Athena Price lifting superbly to earn a Sinclair total of 198 to top the category.  

Next up were the Youth Boys and, while athletes from all three nations shone, it was once again Scotland that came out on top courtesy of Corey Duncan’s total 263kg, only bettered by fellow Scot and heavy lifter Angus Robertson’s 265kg. 

His Sinclair total of 352 was closely followed by Ireland’s brilliant Ben Brennan and hearty Harrison McGrogan, while Wales’ Jorgie Hughes-Lynch had a day to remember as he extended his own Welsh U15 Jerk record with a lift of 112kg. 

As the day progressed, it was time for the Junior Girls to take to the platform. 

This time, it would be Ireland to claim top spot as Shauna Kielty Snatched 73kg and Jerked 93kg for a Sinclair total of 200.  

Scotland’s Jorja McNaughton placed narrowly in second, while Wales’ Millie Lerwill, the category’s mightiest athlete, came third.  

In the Junior Boys category, Wales’ Llewellyn Waits was the only lifter to go six from six, but it was Scotland who once again came out on top. 

Callum Holland Snatched an impressive 115kg but it was his compatriot Rhys Deeley, whose Snatch of 108kg and category-high Jerk of 141kg earned him top spot with a Sinclair total of 339. 

The Welsh athletes saved their best until last on the day, as both the Senior Women and Senior Men categories were claimed by the hosts.  

Ireland’s Rebecca Copeland, nearly a whole 10kg lighter than anyone else in the category, lifted fantastically as she earned a Sinclair total of 227. 

However, Chloe Hood did enough with a Snatch of 81kg and a brilliant Jerk of 107kg to claim a Sinclair total of 228 and pip her Irish counterpart to the summit. 

In the final sessions of the day, Wales’ Mikey Farmer was the standout performer as he won the Senior Men category.  

His Sinclair total of 375 was 12 clear of second-placed Sean Brown, who lifted commendably as he Snatched 135kg and Jerked 162kg for a total of 297kg, all category- and event-highs.  

With six categories done, the podium was decided. Ireland’s consistency throughout paid off, as they finished the day as the overall winning team, amassing 4407 points. Wales, meanwhile, finished second with 4220 points as Scotland came third with 4182 points. 

Weightlifting Wales would like to congratulate all the athletes that stepped up to the platform, showcasing a bright future for weightlifting across the Celtic Nations. 

It was a brilliant day of competition with great quality on show, and we’d like to thank both the Scottish and Irish squads for making the journey to join us.  

We’d also like to express our gratitude to all of the volunteer coaches, Technical Officials and loaders who, as always, were vital in making the event happen.   

A special thanks must also go to all of the coaches who supported the athletes, as well as Weightlifting Wales partner Bangor University for the venue and the brilliant hospitality. 

The 2024 Celtic Championships was a National Lottery-funded event. Without the support of National Lottery funding, events like these and the development of talented athletes from the Home Nations would not be possible.