EUROPA Weightlifting Club in Erith had four young members representing of both Bexley and Greenwich at the recent London Youth Games and they produced some spectacular results.
Two girls were in action with current under-18s British champion and record holder Zoe Smith, 14, flying the flag for Greenwich and 15-year-old Olivia Blatch representing Bexley.
Having already won a gold medal at this year's London Youth Games as part of the Bexley four-piece gymnastics team, Blatch was persuaded to try for double gold as part of the weightlifting team.
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In a field of 13, both the Europa girls came out on top despite their differing levels of experience.
Blatch put on an amazing show of natural strength in her debut weightlifting competition to finish second overall in the girls' section with lifts in the snatch of 38kg and the clean and jerk of 44kg.
Smith won the overall girls' competition with astonishing personal best lifts of 70kg in the snatch and 86kg in the clean and jerk.
There were some equally impressive displays from the two Europa boys, 17-year-olds Jack Oliver and Peter Barnett.
Both are British under-18 weightlifting champions in their respective bodyweight categories and the duo turned in personal best performances to come first and second in the individual boys' competition.
As he had the lighter bodyweight, Oliver came out on top with winning lifts of 115kg in the snatch and 133kg in the clean and jerk.
Barnett placed second with lifts of 111kg in the snatch and 153kg in the clean and jerk.
The three combined Bexley scores also meant they won the team competition for the third successive year.
Europa's head coach, Andrew Callard, said: "Europa had its best day since October last year when we took six lifters to the British under-18 to under-23s championships and came back with six new champions.
"All the lifting today was excellent, really outstanding."
Meanwhile, Smith and Oliver have both been selected to represent Great Britain at the European youth weightlifting championships in Amiens, France, from Monday to July 28.
It will be a busy summer for the pair as they and have also been invited to attend the Beijing Olympics as part of the British Olympic Association's Britain's Olympic Ambition 2012 programme.
In addition, they look set to be selected to represent England at the Commonwealth Youth Games to be held in India this October.
New members are always welcomed at Europa Weightlifting Club, which is based on the ground floor of the Europa Gymnastics Centre, 49-51 Fraser Road, Erith.
For more information, email andrewcallard@btinternet.com or call 07970 684102.
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