Emily Campbell Makes History with Fifth Consecutive European Weightlifting Title

Emily Campbell has once again etched her name into the history books, securing her fifth consecutive European Weightlifting Championship title at the 2025 Championships in Chisinau, Moldova.

The 30-year-old, who competed in the women’s +87 kg category, produced a dominant performance on Monday, 21 April, lifting a total of 281 kg to claim the gold medal. With this victory, Campbell extends an extraordinary streak, having won European titles in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and now 2025 – a feat unmatched in British weightlifting history.

A Legacy of Consistency

Campbell first rose to global prominence at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, where she became the first British woman ever to win an Olympic weightlifting medal, taking silver in the +87 kg category with a 161 kg clean & jerk and 283 kg total. She followed up with a bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, cementing her position as one of the most decorated weightlifters in British sporting history.

In between Olympic cycles, Campbell continued to dominate the European scene. Her European Championship victories have spanned from Moscow 2021 through to Sofia 2024, where she won gold with a 263 kg total (112 kg snatch, 151 kg clean & jerk). The 2025 event in Chi?in?u saw her improve once again, delivering a consistent series of lifts and finishing well ahead of her nearest competitors.

A Champion On and Off the Platform

Raised in Nottingham, Campbell took up weightlifting in her late teens after a background in shot put and athletics. She claimed her first British senior title in 2017, and quickly established herself as a dominant force on the international stage. She trains between the British Weight Lifting High Performance Centre in Loughborough and her local gym in Nottinghamshire.

Beyond the barbell, Campbell is known for her advocacy for inclusion and accessibility in sport. She has mentored young women and girls in strength sports, spoken out about body positivity, and is a proud ambassador for British Weight Lifting’s community programmes. In 2022, she was awarded an honourary doctorate by Nottingham Trent University for her services to sport and youth empowerment.

A Platform for the Future

The 2025 European Weightlifting Championships, held from 13–21 April, brought together over 40 nations and hundreds of elite lifters. Campbell’s performance was one of the headline moments of the competition, closing out the final day with a powerful series of lifts in front of a packed arena and a global livestream audience via Weightlifting House.

With her fifth European crown secured, Campbell now looks ahead to the 2025 World Weightlifting Championships – and the chance to further build on an already legendary career.