Zoe Smith set a new British senior clean and jerk record as she finished second in Group B of the women’s 58kg weightlifting competition at the ExCeL this afternoon.
Her weightlifting class was divided into two groups, with the overall winner, Xueying Li, competing in Group A, as was expected. Smith finished in 12th place overall.
The 18-year-old lifted 121kg to surpass the previous British record of 120kg set by Beijing Olympian Michaela Breeze at the 2004 European Championships in Kiev.
Her clean and jerk effort made up for a disappointing snatch, where she could only manage to lift 90kg. Smith said, ”I rushed my second and third snatch. I know myself I always rush it when I am nervous.”
But the teenager said her experience will be a valuable one ahead of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.
She commented: “This afternoon was an amazing experience. The crowd were great and over the next few days I am going to reflect on what has happened.”
Throughout the competition Smith was cheered on by a very loud and supportive home crowd which numbered around 6,000 people.
Speaking afterwards she said, “I am disappointed. My mind was somewhere else. I was overwhelmed by how big the audience was. I have never had 6,000 people watching me and cheering for me. I gave it my best. That is all I can say.
Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine
