8/10/2008

Two weightlifting hopefuls from Holyhead will try to emulate the former Commonwealth successes of Welsh lifter Michaela Breeze at the Commonwealth Youth Games in India next week.

Ian Critchlow, 17 and Glen Desmond, 18, who are members of the Holyhead Weightlifting Club, have reached the qualifying standard to compete at the Games in Pune from October 12 to 18.

Critchlow, who lifts in the 62Kg Class, started weightlifting in 2005 and has won Welsh Junior titles at 56 and 62kgs. He has also won at British age group level at 51 Kgs and earlier this year competed in Slovakia and Luxembourg for Wales.

Desmond competes in the 77Kg Class. After showing some promise at school level athletics, he switched to weightlifting in 2007.

His fledgling career has already yielded remarkable results with back to back Welsh titles in 2007 and 2008. He also represented Wales earlier in 2008 at the Small Nations event in Luxembourg.

Welsh Weightlifting Federation Head Coach Ray Williams won gold at the 1986 Commonwealth games and returned home to Anglesey in 2003 to coach.

He is playing down expectations for India and cites this competition as a learning experience for his lifters.