Bulwell's Emily Campbell retains Commonwealth Games weightlifting crown

Bulwell’s Emily Campbell has added another Commonwealth Games gold medal to her growing tally.

The Olympic champion, who grew up on Snape Wood estate, retained the Commonwealth Games title she won in Birmingham four years ago in +86kg weightlifting category.

Emily Campbell reacts after competing during the Women's +86kg Weightlifting at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.

placeholder image — Emily Campbell reacts after competing during the Women's +86kg Weightlifting at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.

And she did it in style after lifting a Games-record total of 278kg. She also broke the clean and jerk Commonwealth record with 163kg, while she registered a 115kg snatch lift.

"As an athlete, you always want to give your best performance, but the reason I've stayed in the sport so long is because I still genuinely enjoy lifting," Campbell said.

"The atmosphere out there was incredible. You couldn't really ask for the crowd to be any louder - I could barely hear myself think,

"Representing England means everything to me. The Commonwealth Games are incredibly special. In 2018, I really started believing in myself and realised I could do this. Without those Games, I don't think I'd have achieved what I have now. Whenever I represent my flag, I do it with pride."

Campbell, regarded as the most successful British female weightlifter of modern times, is a Commonwealth and six-time European champion, and a double World and Olympic medalist.