Bronze for weightlifter

Aucklander Tracey Lambrechs grabbed a bronze medal in the womens 75kg-plus weightlifting today.

Lambrechs fought back in the clean and jerk section after being only in fifth place when the snatch section of the competition was completed.

She achieved 97kg and 101kg in the snatch, and missed at 103kg.

In the clean and jerk she was excellent, lifting 129kg, 132kg and 136kg. The final lift, a massive effort, pushed her ahead of Australian Deborah Acason.

It was really a contest of two parts. Way out in front were Nigerian Maryam Usman, who won with a total of 2809kg, followed by Samoan Ele Opeloge, 271kg.

The rest of the field was fighting for the bronze and it was the gritty and determined Lambrechs who came through. The result marks an improvement for Lambrechs, who was fifth in the Delhi Commonwealth Games four years ago.

The bronze medal adds further to Lambrechs sports CV. Her sister, Chantal, has represented New Zealand at weightlifting. Tracey has also played netball to senior representative level and competed in international athletics.

She was born in South Africa and her family moved to New Zealand in 1999, when she was 14.