Welsh lifters win medals at the IPF Commonwealth Championships

08/12/2007

Debbie Hawker on the podium
Debbie Hawker "flying the flag"
Diminutive powerlifter Debbie Hawker won 3 silvers and a gold medal at the 2007 IPF Commonwealth Powerlifting Championships in Christchurch New Zealand.

The seven and a half stone lifter competed for Wales but trains and lives in Bournemouth. She is a member of the successful Bournemouth Athletic Club Weightlifting team and works as a personal trainer in Southampton. Debbie produced personal best perfomances to win silver in the squat, gold in the bench press, silver in the deadlift and silver overall.

On her return to Bournemouth next week Debbie hopes to make an appearance at the B.A.C. Open Weightlifting and Powerlifting Championships at Kings Park Athletic Centre on Sunday 16th December. Spectators welcome. Lifting starts at 10.30 am.

Debbie's comments:
I must say that going to the Commonwealth Champs was such an awesome experience. I had such a great time. I competed on Day 1, I weighed in at 46.8kg. I was quite happy with my lifting as I got 3 PBs. I got 87.5kg in the squat, 60kg bench, 117.5kg deadlift and a 265kg total. Phil Watkins helped me out for the day and did a good job!

Phil Watkins, who didn't have the best of days still managed to take a bronze in the deadlift. This was Phil's second time lifting in this competition and the second time that he has come away with a bronze medal in the deadlift.

Phil's comments:
This was an excellent, well run championship and it was great to be lifting for Wales in New Zealand. I personally didn't have the best of competitions and was well below my best on the day. I'd prepared reasonably well before leaving the UK but I spent 2 weeks on a course in Australia living in hotels, eating poorly and not training. I'd also had a hamstring injury which I sustained at the 4 Nations in October and so hadn't been able to deadlift since then. In hindsight it was a minor miracle that I pulled 290kg@90kg for the bronze on the deadlift to go with the silver that I won 2 years ago. Debbie Hawker lifted very well indeed to equal her personal best on the squat and to get pbs on all the other lifts including the total. There is a lot to come from Debbie, and under the right guidance will make great gains in 2008.'

Paul Rees
Wales Team Manager