Future weightlifters face off in Oldbury ahead of Commonwealth Games
As the clock ticks down on the start of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, judges mulled over future British weightlifting stars at a national competition held in the Black Country.
Some of the country's best junior weightlifters faced off in the British Age Group Olympic Weightlifting Championships held at the Oldbury Academy.
WATCH: Oldbury weightlifters take part in national competition
The school has its own wrestling team and its coach Sam Hayer,a former Commomwealth Games athlete, was able to pull some strings and bring the competition to the Black Country.
Athletes travelled from across the British isles to take part today.
Sam, aged 53, from Smethwick, said: "It was great to have this competition in Oldbury.
"It is great to have the Commonwealth Games on our doorstep and as the games draw nearer, it proved a great opportunity to have the games here."
There was an overall winner and two runners-up picked for each category in the competition, which was held for athletes between 15 and 23 years of age.
There was judges present who assessed the young athletes to be feature in their national teams when the Commonwealth Games finally arrive.
That means that the Black Country was the scene where some of the future stars of the sport could have been picked to compete in three years time.
The weight classes ranged from 45kg all the way up to 160kgs.
Participants took part in the clean and jerk movement, which sees athletes lift up a long bar with weights on the end, and lift it over their heads.
Sam wanted to thank the school for agreeing to host the competition.
"Without the school's support, we couldn't have pulled this off," he said.
"I have had two sleepless nights thinking about this."
