Phil Richard: Welsh powerlifting champion dies aged 52

Phil Richard said he 'fell into powerlifting' as a teenager after going to the gym with a friend

Former junior and masters world powerlifting champion Phil Richard has died at the age of 52.

Welshman Richard, from Swansea, spent the majority of his life in powerlifting having first competed as a teenager.

He was junior world champion three times and masters champion on four occasions.

Richard also won numerous European and British titles and set various records during his successful long career.

Richard balanced his powerlifting commitments with work as a senior process technician in the mining industry.

He opted to miss last year's World Championships for financial and family reasons but, in an interview with BBC Sport Wales last year, said he planned to bring another world title back to Wales in 2024.

International Powerlifting Federation president Gaston Parage paid tribute to Richard on social media.

"Phil was a British Powerlifting and EPF (European Powerlifting Federation) hall of famer and was a long-standing proponent of equipped powerlifting," Parage said.

"Phil was well known and well liked throughout the powerlifting community and he will be sadly missed."