EUROPA Weightlifting Club took five members to the British U18 championships in Bristol on Sunday.

The club, which recently relocated to Crayford from Erith, produced two of the six weightlifters who competed for Team GB at the London Olympics and proved they are continuing to bring through fresh new talent with two of the five who travelled to Bristol returning as champions.

Nathan To, 14, lifted to victory in his first national competition, achieving all six of his attempts.

Weighing in at just 50kg, he managed to lift 62kg on the snatch and 72kg on the clean and jerk for an impressive 134kg total.

Luke Livermore, 16, succeeded despite having quite a tough time of it after unluckily spraining his wrist in the warm-up.

The injury meant he wasn’t able to perform at his best and he achieved just 80kg on the snatch, which was 10 kg behind his main competitor at the end of the first phase of the competition. Fortunately though he came through for a win with a massive effort on his last clean and jerk of 118 kg, which he successfully completed to give him a 198kg total and the 85kg national title.

In the 69kg group, Europa fielded three lifters in 16-year-olds Liam Gaul and Joe Brooker and Liam Green, 15.

Gaul had a day of highs and lows as he hoped to lift in the 62kg class but unfortunately failed to make the bodyweight target.

However, as he had made the 69kg qualifying total, he was able to lift at the higher bodyweight and completed all of his three snatches, finishing on a very creditable 85kg, just 1kg behind his main competitor. On the clean and jerk both lifters completed their first lift of 103kg but then both missed 107kg. At the third attempt his rival completed 107kg, leaving Gaul needing to do 108kg to win, a target he narrowly missed, leaving him to collect the second place trophy with a 188kg total.

Brooker finished just behind him winning the third place trophy, with a 177kg total made up of 77kg in the snatch and 100kg in the clean and jerk to beat his personal best by 26kg.

Green was disappointed not to make the required bodyweight for the 62kg group, which meant he had to lift with the heavier boys.

Despite not winning a trophy, the day was still a personal success for him as he achieved 65kg on the snatch and 82kg on the clean and jerk, putting him on a final total of 147kg, which surpassed his previous personal best of 117kg by a full 30kg.

For further information about Europa Weightlifting Club, email head coach Andrew Callard at andrew@aecallard.co.uk

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