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British Weight Lifting British Championships 2023

The stage was set for an exhilarating display of talent as the British Weight Lifting British Championships 2023 descended upon a new home, the Manchester Central Convention Centre, between 5-6 August 2023.

A Gathering of Strength and Talent

Anticipation built as hundreds of spectators converged upon the Manchester Central Convention Centre for two action-packed days of competition. The event proved to be a showcase of the UK's finest weightlifters, a testament to the sport's growing prominence in the nation.

The British Championships wasn't just about showcasing brute strength; it was about defying expectations and demonstrating that strength comes in all sizes.

Athletes put on an incredible set of performances across the weekend, with 12 British records being broken.

It was a pleasure to also host two IWF refugee athletes: Reza Rouhi and Clementine Meukeugni Noumbi.

18 British Champions were crowned in their respective bodyweight categories after giving their all on the platform.

Meet your new British Champions
Category	Athlete	Best Snatch (kg)	Best Clean & Jerk (kg)	Total (kg)
W49kg	Tammy Wong	65	90	155
W55kg	Fraer Morrow	80	105	185
W59kg	Laura Wheatcroft	87	100	187
W64kg	Zoe Smith	88	115	203
W71kg	Erin Barton	91	123	214
W76kg	Sarah Davies	98	126	224
W81kg	Emma McCready	86	106	192
W87kg	Madias Dodo Nzesso-Ngake	110	130	240
W87+kg	Emily Campbell	120	160	280
M61kg	Ben Hickling	100	123	223
M67kg	Jaswant Shergill	115	150	265
M73kg	Jon Chin	126	156	282
M81kg	Chris Murray	141	175	316
M89kg	Stefano Cataldi	135	173	308
M96kg	Ramiro Mora Romero	160	196	356
M102kg	Edmond Avetisyan	140	181	321
M109kg	Andy Griffiths	161	189	350
M109+kg	Mack Middleton	150	175	325

View the full competition results here

British records

Congratulations to the following athletes for breaking British records with their performances.

Alex Mackay broke thee U23 records in the 45kg category with a 54kg snatch, 73kg clean and jerk and a 127kg total.

Ramiro Mora Romero set a record in the 96kg category with a 160kg snatch.

Joshua Hutton set a snatch record in the U20 12kg category with 133kg.

Andy Griffiths set a snatch record in the 109kg category with a 161kg lift.

Bella Brown set triple records in the U20 76kg category with a 91kg snatch, 112kg clean and jerk and 203kg total.

Madias Dodo Nzesso-Ngake set triple records in the 87kg category with a 110kg snatch, 130kg clean and jerk and 240kg total.

BWL 2.0

In addition to the outstanding lifting across the weekend, British Weight Lifting endeavoured to bring more to the fans of the sport.

This came firstly in the form of an incredible event build. Manchester Central Convention Centre is a fantastic venue, and BWL made sure the event build made the most of the space on offer.

Spectators enjoyed tiered seating, athletes warmed up in a well organised back room utilising equipment from the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, and both platforms were renovated prior to the event to ensure athletes had the best lifting experience possible.

Athletes had an athlete rest area with seating and Eleiko mobility sticks so that they could stretch and take some time to compose before their warm up.

Alan March Sport Ltd supported the event with some amazing technical support offering atmospheric lighting, sound and a large LED screen behind athletes that displayed the event livestream, rankings, competition and partner information.

Each platform at the event had a dedicated photographer, with Nick Jones on the red platform, and Phil Ward on the blue, ensuring all lifts were captured in high quality, slow-motion footage, along with thousands of photographs.

Both platforms also had a livestream so that fans could catch up with the action from afar. The red platform enjoyed commentary from Ramsay Kechacha, Olivia Blatch, Zoe Smith and Emily Campbell, and Gurinder (Ginge) Hayer brought the energy to the blue platform livestream.

Between watching the competition, spectators could browse the gallery, where some of our partners had stands.

Eleiko ran an exciting squat competition with the new Eleiko Sensor Ready bar. Entrants tried to top the leaderboard with a speed squat, with prizes up for grabs for the fastest squatter.

Seb, Dan, Kody and Nick from Weightlifting House had a fantastic stall showcasing their books, belts, thumb tape, and other accessories. They were all on hand to offer expert advice, and to top it all off- had stacks of free stickers!

SBD showcased their amazing collection of strength gear, from knee sleeves to socks and t-shirts.

New Balance brought a t-shirt press with them to produce British Weight Lifting merchandise live in front of spectators. They also displayed the new range of British Weight Lifting merchandise which includes vests, hats and new colourways for the t-shirts and hoodies.

A Growing Movement

As strength training gained popularity among fitness enthusiasts and athletes alike, the British Championships 2023 offered a unique opportunity to witness the pinnacle of this discipline. BWL encouraged attendees to come out in full support, bringing their flags, friends, and enthusiastic cheers for the British weightlifting athletes.

The Manchester Central Convention Centre witnessed a convergence of skill, passion, and determination as the best weightlifters in the UK competed for glory. As the championships unfolded, spectators witnessed not only the physical prowess of the athletes but also the sense of camaraderie and unity that defined the weightlifting community. The British Championships 2023 proved to be a celebration of strength, excellence, and the unwavering spirit of competition.

Thank you

British Weight Lifting would like to thank everyone who made this event possible, and more than that, a success for athletes and spectators alike.

Thank you to all the athletes and coaches for your hard work and diligence, we couldn’t do it without you.

Thank you to the staff for dedicating your time across the weekend and for your efforts in the lead up.

Thank you to the Technical Officials who made sure the event ran smoothly, acted professionally and made sure the athletes had a good experience. From refereeing and speaking to the behind the scenes jobs like marshalling and acting as technical controller, we appreciate all your hard work.

Thank you to the armed forces and others loading team for your enthusiasm, energy and effort across the weekend.

Thank you to our livestream commentators for bringing energy and expertise to fans of the sport.

Thank you to our partners for your continued support: SBD, Eleiko, Sport and Fitness Flooring, Weightlifting House, New Balance, Sportscover Europe and Joymo.

As always, thank you to our funding partners for your support in developing the sports of Weightlifting and Para Powerlifting: Sport England, UK Sport, The National Lottery and TASS.