Emily Muskett won a bronze medal in the 79kg division of the clean and jerk to become Britain’s first medalist at the World Weightlifting Championships in 25 years. The Commonwealth champion lifted 126kg, 10kg behind the eventual winner American Katherine Nye.
After no member of the British Weightlifting team came home from the 2016 Rio Olympics with a medal, UK Sport removed their funding. This has made Muskett’s achievement so much more astonishing.
“I’ve been working three jobs and just training when I can, which is hard to balance, but all the British lifters are in the same situation,” said Muskett.
“I just hope someone from UK Sport will take a look at us and help because there’s so much potential here, particularly on the women’s side of the sport.”
Following the Rio Olympics, the International Weightlifting Federation banned nine nations for 12 months for anti-doping violations, including Russia and China. This lead to 70 athletes being unable to compete at the World Championships last year.
“I’m in a weight division where there are athletes from nations who have been caught out in the past and for the first time I’m finishing ahead of them,” Muskett said.
“It’s finally a level playing field, which is really encouraging, and we just have to hope it keeps moving in the right direction.”
Elsewhere in the British team, Zoe Smith came sixth in the 59kg division and Sarah Davies finished eight in the 64kg division.
