THE STARS of British Weightlifting and Para-Powerlifting are set to return to Coventry this summer for the sport’s biggest national competition.
Current Commonwealth Games Gold medallist Zoe Smith, 2014 European Youth Championships runner-up Rebekah Tiler and Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Ben Watson will be among the high profile names competing at the Ricoh Arena for the coveted title of British Senior Champion.
The para-powerlifting competition will also feature star names including current IPC World Champion and World record holder Ali Jawad, Invictus Games gold medallist Micky Yule and four-time Paralympian Natalie Blake.
The competition, which will run on 27-28 June, debuted at the Ricoh last year, attracting 117 athletes and a record number of spectators across the two days as the largest venue ever to be used by British Weight Lifting.
Ashley Metcalfe, CEO of British Weight Lifting, said: “The decision to move to the Ricoh last year was a clear indication of our determination to provide the best possible facilities for our athletes, coaches and spectators and we were delighted with the feedback following the event which was a fantastic showcase for the sport.
“The Ricoh provides our athletes with practice and warm-up facilities that are undoubtedly the best we’ve used for a domestic competition and we are aiming to build on last year’s impressive ticket sales to develop the competition even further and grow the wider interest of the sport.”
This year’s National Championships are scheduled just over a year before the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio and athletes will be determined to deliver stand-out performances in support of their campaigns to compete at next summer’s Games.
Ashley added: “The 2015 competition schedule is all about qualification and preparation for Rio 2016 and the British Seniors has an important part to play in this, as the only qualifying event for the World Senior Championships in November where athletes will be competing for points to secure their place on the GB team next summer.”
Tickets for the competition are priced at just £5 for under-16s and concessions and £10 for adults for one day passes, and £7.50 and £15 for two day passes. These can be purchased online by visiting tickets.com and entering ‘weightlifting’ into the search bar.
For more information contact a member of the British Weight Lifting team at [email protected] or on 0113 224 9402.
