Glasgow 2014 - Commonwealth Games Sports Guide: Weightlifting

By Steven Oldham

Click HERE for Commonwealth Games homepage

Weightlifting has a rich history at the Commonwealths, and has not missed a Games since first being on the programme back in 1950 in Auckland, New Zealand.

Now recognised as one of the ten core sports that must be included in every edition of the Commonwealths, lifters from all over the world will compete in 15 weight classes from 48kg to +105kg.

Para-sport powerlifting will also be contested at the Glasgow Games.

WHEN?

With a packed programme of men's, women's and para-sport competitions to get through, weightlifting action is happening on most days. Sessions are on every day between July 24-31, and after a one day break, the powerlifting events conclude the lifting action on August 2.

WHERE?

The weightlifting competitions are happening in the Scottish Exhibition & Conference Centre in West Glasgow.

WHO?

Weightlifting is perhaps the sport with the most evenly spread distribution of medals. Nigeria topped the medal tally last time out in India, taking five golds and an impressive 14 in total.

Ominously, they took all six medals in powerlifting, although English lifter Ali Jawad will be looking to break this stranglehold having won the World Championships earlier this year, setting a new record in the process.

Samoa's weightlifters made history in Delhi, taking home three gold medals. These were the first ever gold medals for the country in Commonwealth history, having been competing since 1974. Brother and sister Niusila and Ele Opeloge won their gold medals on the same day. Ele lifted a Games record of 285kg at her weight division.

The host nation's hopes will lie primarily with Peter Kirkbride, who took silver in Delhi four years ago. He is also the national champion at 94kg, and competed at London 2012, placing 16th.

Other countries who don't medal very often take their moment to shine in weightlifting. Sri Lanka, Nauru and the Seychelles all won their only medals in 2010 in this sport.

LET ME SOUND LIKE I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT...

• Weightlifting comprises two lifts - the snatch and the clean and jerk.
• Lifters get three attempts at completing the lift.
• Both lifts must be completed to count, and the best combined score is taken forward to the scoreboard. If a lifter fails to produce any successful lifts in either snatch or clean and jerk, they cannot receive a final total.
• There are eight weight categories for men and seven for women
• Competitors can pick their opening weight, and once successful, then pick the next weight. Some take risks to try and outdo or unnerve a rival lifter.

CAN I STILL BUY TICKETS?

Yes, there are tickets left to the preliminary sessions of both weightlifting and powerlifting. Click here

Ele Opeloge is the first Samoan woman to win a Commonwealth gold
(thehindu.com)

3,000 serving Armed Forces workers to benefit from Glasgow 2014's Tickets for Troops scheme

By Steven Oldham

Men and women serving in the UK's Armed Forces are to be offered free tickets for various events at this summer's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

The scheme - billed as 'Tickets for Troops' - will see 3,000 tickets on offer to serving Forces personnel to watch the boxing, badminton, powerlifting, squash and rugby sevens events.

Tickets for Troops forms part of a wider goodwill initiative between Glasgow 2014 and event partners to make the Games accessible to as many people as possible.

20,000 tickets are now to be given away, with a quarter of those going to disadvantaged young people who will experience a day out at the Games. Those creating a lasting legacy from the Games will also be rewarded.

Distribution of the tickets will be handled by charity Tickets for Troops, which looks to reward servicemen and women's hard work and time spent away from their loved ones.

Commonwealth Games Scotland Chairman, Michael Cavanagh, said:

“The ticketing goodwill initiative is a great programme and fantastic way to ensure that tickets are going to the most deserving people in our communities including our servicemen and women and to allow them to enjoy the Games.”

It's a timely announcement, with Armed Forces Day just two days away.  

I'm the world champion, but I want Paralympic gold too says British powerlifter Ali Jawad

By Steven Oldham

British powerlifter Ali Jawad still has unfinished business with the Paralympics despite becoming world champion earlier this month.

The Londoner became the -59kg champion by lifting 190kg at the Powerlifting World Championships in Dubai, setting a new world record in the process.

Jawad admits after winning his first world title his thoughts are now firmly fixed on the Rio 2016 Paralympics - and putting some past demons to bed once and for all.

He came fourth at London 2012, missing out on the medals after having a lift that would have seen him won silver thrown out, reinstated and then thrown out again by the jury, who ordered him to relift 189kg minutes after he had done so the first time.  He couldn't, and missed out on the medals due only to being heavier than the eventual bronze medallist from China.

He said: "It hasn't really sunk in that I'm the world champion yet.  It doesn't seem like I am.  Nothing has really changed for me.

A lot of people have asked me if being world champion has made up for what happened at London 2012.  My first thought was that I need to win in Rio.  My focus is definitely now on 2016."

Competing in Dubai (thanks to Ali for photograph)

Jawad - Lebanese born but London bred - went into his latest competition in Dubai as world record holder in his weight class but momentarily lost it to Iranian lifter Hamzeh Mohamaddi, who lifted 186kg in the first round, 0.5kg than Jawad's record.

The 25-year-old responded with an unmatched lift of 190kg in the next round and reclaimed his world record, an impressive feat given he weighs less than a third of what he lifted.

"Our plan was to go in at the world record, but he went in higher in the first round.  We weren't expecting that!", he said.

Next in Ali's sights is the final qualifiers for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in the summer.  He is set to compete in the qualifiers in Coventry on 11 May at the Ricoh Arena, having already gained 160 points towards a place in Team England.

Only three powerlifters are able to go forward to the Games for England and Jawad reckons it will take a big effort from other lifters to make the 160 points target.

"I've already reached 160 and so has another lifter.  It will be a big ask for anyone else to reach it.

In the grand scheme of things, the Commonwealths are not that important - they are in the same four year cycle as the Worlds which have to take precedence.  It's still a competition I'm training hard for and it will be very difficult to win.  I reckon my main competition will be from Nigeria."

Nigerian lifter Anthony Ulomman took bronze in Dubai to underline his podium credentials for Glasgow, albeit having lifted 7kg less than Jawad, who is relishing performing in front of a British crowd once more.

"I still see Glasgow as a home Games.  Hopefully I can do well and if I medal it might start to make up for what happened in London," he said.

You can follow Ali's progress via his Twitter page, @AliJawad12

More Olympic and Paralympic sport:

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