WEIGHTLIFTING: Olympian Tia-Clair Toomey and two-time Commonwealth Games medallist, Seen Lee, have been the stand-out performers among the local lifters at the Australian International Weightlifting event in Melbourne at the weekend.

Lee turned the clock back almost a decade by lifting a total of 198kg to take gold in the women’s 63kg division.

Although her total was still five kilograms below her best, her total was easily her best for several years and has sounded an ominous warning as she sets her sights on competing at a fourth Commonwealth Games next year.

The Victorian lifter won bronze at the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games, and silver in Delhi in 2010. In Glasgow in 2014 Lee finished sixth with a total of 190kg, 8kg less than she lifted on the weekend. 

Toomey set a new personal best total of 196 kilos, a massive six kilos more than she lifted at last year’s Rio Olympics, but only one kilo more than her previous PB.

The Gladstone-based lifter finished 24 kilos ahead of her next closest rival, New Zealand’s Alethea Boon, in the women’s 58kg division.

Toomey, who is also recognised as one of the fittest women in the world after finishing second at the last two World Cross Fit Games, snatched 84 kilos and clean and jerked 111kg.

Commonwealth Games silver and bronze medallist, Seen Lee, won gold in the women’s 63kg division, finishing with a total of 185.

2014 Commonwealth Games athlete, Kylie Lindbeck, bettered her previous personal best in the snatch by 1kg on her way to gold in the 75kg division.

Lindbeck lifted 198kg, 1kg more than she lifted when finishing fifth in Glasgow three years ago.

Ross Solley
Weightlifting Australia