England Team Prepare for Commonwealth Championships
THE England team fly out to the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships this week, with high hopes of a successful trip to Penang.
Athletes will represent England in the prestigious tournament (Nov 24-30), where they will face competition from many of the same rivals they will also be up against in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next year. The athletes selected for the Commonwealth Championships are:
Women
Rebekah Tiler (69kg) Mytholmroyd, Yorkshire
Hannah Powell (48kg) Birmingham (pictured)
Jo Calvino (53kg) London
“The Commonwealth Championships will provide an invaluable experience for our team, as the competition they face there will be similar to what they can expect at the Commonwealth Games next year,” said Team Manager Maggie Lynes.
“It will give them the opportunity to measure their performance against the best the Commonwealth currently has to offer. It will also enable them to start to gel as a team, as I expect those who are travelling to Penang to be at the forefront in the battle for places at next year’s Games.
“I believe that we have several good chances for medals, and I hope the stiff competition will encourage our athletes to step up and record new personal bests. I am looking forward to what should be a great competition!”
London’s Emily Godley was selected but was unable to travel due to work commitments, while Zoe Smith’s on-going programme of rehabilitation on a back injury has ruled her out.
Ashley Metcalfe, Chief Executive of British Weight Lifting, added: “We have had several encouraging performances recently and this is another great opportunity for our lifters to gain invaluable experience on the International stage.
With major European and World Championships as well as the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, there is much to play for in 2014 and it will be great to see increased competition for places.”
