Laura Hughes Takes Bronze And Says The Best Is Yet To Come

Laura Hughes believes there is more to come after she won bronze in the women’s 75kg weightlifting.

The CrossFit competitor finished third behind Emily Godley of England and Canada’s Marie-Eve Beauchemin-Nadeau.

Hughes, 24, only took up weightlifting three years ago and considers herself still as untapped potential.

“There is a lot more to give in the next few years and I feel really happy with the bronze and that performance, said the North Walian.

“My background is in horse-riding and then I switched to CrossFit when I was about 21. I still do CrossFit, but weightlifting is a very different sport and I’m still learning.”

Laura Davies is absolutely thrilled her performance tonight

#TîmCymru #TeamWales pic.twitter.com/TPBMp5kmI4

— Team Wales (@TeamWales) April 8, 2018

Beauchemin-Nadeau made a bad start, missing her opening snatch, leaving her trailing Godley by 1kg at the end of the snatch round, with Hughes just 4kg further back.

It looked like the Canadian would pull ahead in the clean and jerks when she started with the highest opening lift of the competition. But she faltered on her second clean and jerk of 126kg.

Attempting the same weight for the win, Godley made her sixth successful lift of the competition.

Hughes was unable to stay with the top two, but it was still an impressive display from the Welsh record holder who won the Commonwealth Championships in the same Gold Coast venue in September 2017.

She trains out of NW1 Strength and Conditioning in Llandudno with coach Calum Stronach as well as her own home gym. She works as an online nutrition coach, working with clients all around the world.