Emily Campbell of England secured her second consecutive Commonwealth Games gold medal in the women's +86kg weightlifting category, setting new Games records in the process. Campbell, 32, achieved a total lift of 278kg, surpassing her previous winning total from four years prior.
Her performance included breaking the Commonwealth record in the clean and jerk with a lift of 163kg, alongside a snatch lift of 115kg. Campbell expressed her enduring passion for the sport, stating, "As an athlete, you always want to give your best performance, but the reason I've stayed in the sport so long is because I still genuinely enjoy lifting."
The silver medal was claimed by Malaysia's Siti Aqilah Farhana Draman, who lifted a total of 253kg, while Canada's Etta Mae Love secured bronze with 250kg. Campbell's winning total was 25kg more than Draman's.
Campbell, whose hair was dyed bright red and featured braided lions, was the final competitor. Needing 138kg to secure victory on her opening clean and jerk attempt, she exceeded expectations by lifting 148kg, then 155kg, and finally a personal best of 163kg. The atmosphere in the venue was electric, with Campbell noting, "The atmosphere out there was incredible. You couldn't really ask for the crowd to be any louder - I could barely hear myself think."
Representing England holds significant meaning for Campbell, who credits the 2018 Commonwealth Games with building her self-belief. "Whenever I represent my flag, I do it with pride," she stated.