Commonwealth Games: England's Emily Campbell wins weightlifting gold

England's Emily Campbell added Commonwealth gold to her weightlifting medal haul with a record-breaking performance at Birmingham's NEC.

Campbell, 28, lifted a Games-record total of 286kg in the women's +87kg to beat Samoan defending champion Feagaiga Stowers, who managed 268kg.

She also broke the snatch Commonwealth record with 124kg and did the same in the clean and jerk, with 162kg.

Campbell was the first Team GB woman to win an Olympic weightlifting medal.

"I'm absolutely elated," Campbell told BBC Sport.

"I knew this would be a tough competition. I knew someone was not going to hand it to me on a plate, I knew I would have to work for it but I said, 'whatever I needed to lift today to win that gold medal, I was going to do it'.

"I hope people see how beautiful our sport is. Throughout the week you have seen it doesn't matter what you look like, what shape you are, what size you are, you can pick up a bar and do it.

"It is not about coming to the Commonwealth Games or coming to the Olympics, it is is about doing something you love."

One of two flagbearers for England at the Birmingham 2022 opening ceremony, Campbell took silver in Tokyo in 2021 and is a two-time European champion.

• Commonwealth Games day-by-day guide & schedule

• BBC TV, radio & digital coverage times

• BBC Live guide for links to all live streams

• Watch best of Commonwealth Games video

The NEC announcer informed fans before the final that the weightlifting venue had become known as "the party arena" and the crowd made sure it lived up to its name.

Every time Campbell entered the stage they welcomed her with adrenaline-boosting cheers and she repaid the favour with a high-energy performance.

With her hair arranged in two buns on top of her head - one white and one red - she took on the role of circus ringmaster, opening her arms wide in celebration after every successful lift.

"We've been in the training hall in the back and we've heard the crowds all week and it has been mad, absolutely immense," Campbell added.

"There was a full house today. It is very nice to see actual fans coming to see weightlifting, it is all we have ever wanted."

Stowers was her only close competitor for gold, with Australia's Charisma Amoe-Tarrant winning the battle for bronze.

Campbell looked dominant throughout, breaking the Games record with her second snatch attempt of 121kg before extending it to 124kg as the Samoan had to settle for 121kg.

Records continued to tumble as Stowers set a new Games total of 268kg with her first clean and snatch attempt.

Campbell immediately passed that as she raised her total to 276kg, then Stowers failed her next two attempts to give the England athlete gold with two attempts remaining.

The home lifter, who uses her platform to advocate for better sports clothing for plus-size women, continued to put on a show, successfully lifting 162kg to bring the crowd to their feet before whipping her belt around her head in celebration.