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Taking place at the University of Lincoln from the 11th to 12th of April, the 2026 BUCS Weightlifting & Para-Powerlifting Championships saw Nottingham athletes deliver another exceptional showing against the country's top university athletes.

Claiming Nottingham's first medal of the weekend, Rolland Lau took second place in the Men's 65kg category with a 76kg snatch and 84kg clean and jerk, finishing with a 170kg total.

Senior European medallist and British champion Isabella Brown showcased Nottingham's strength in the Women's 77kg category, lifting a winning total of 229kg to secure the gold. With a 103kg snatch and 126kg clean and jerk, Brown outlifted the rest of the field by an impressive 74kg. Charlize Richards also impressed, recording a 168kg total from a 74kg snatch and 94kg clean and jerk, ranking among the top eight women's totals across the weekend.

The men's competitions soon saw British champion Ed Smale step to the top of the podium, securing first place in the Men's 94kg category with a 144kg snatch and 165kg clean and jerk. His 309kg total was the second highest recorded across the championships. The highest total score came from fellow champion and teammate Jasper Hilton, who claimed gold in Men's >110kg category. Following a 150kg snatch and 188kg clean and jerk, Hilton finished with an outstanding 338kg total to add another gold medal to Nottingham's tally.

Oliver Jackson rounded off Nottingham's performances with victory in the Men's 110kg category, recording a 124kg snatch and 161kg clean and jerk for a 285kg total, tying the third-highest score of the championships. The result capped off a hugely successful weekend for Nottingham, with the team securing six total medals and more podium finishes that any other university competing.

Club president Oliver Jackson reflected on the weekend: "This year, Nottingham was represented by a record 13 weightlifters. A strong weekend of performances saw the team secure 4 gold medals and 1 silver medal. More importantly, it is fantastic to see members who had not touched a barbell before university achieve the BUCS qualification total. These results mark a step forward for the club's development and competitiveness. A special thank you to Coach Madi for travelling with the team to Lincoln and guiding the team to these impressive results."

Last year's champions Jasper Hilton, Ed Smale, and Isabella Brown are now preparing for the 2026 British Weightlifting championships, taking place on the 16th and 17th of May in Telford.

The º£½ÇºÚÁÏ congratulates all athletes and staff involved in an outstanding weekend of competition and wishes them continued success as they prepare for future events later this year.

To find out more about these championships and view the full results .

To keep up to date with the º£½ÇºÚÁÏ Weightlifting club, you can .

Notes for editors

º£½ÇºÚÁÏ are the top UK University for team sport, placing 2nd in the overall British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) rankings in the 2024/25 season. For more information on our performance sport offer, including scholarships and support for student athletes, please click here.