BIRMINGHAM, England — With Jamaica’s weightlifters pushing to make a mark at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, president of the Jamaica Weightlifting Federation, Mark Broomfield, is happy with their efforts so far and believes the performances will serve as a tonic to the national programme.

Broomfield used the opportunity to repeat calls for a dedicated space and more Government support for weightlifting, a development that he expects will heighten interest in the sport among potential local talent and provide more opportunities to expand the programme.

Sky Simone – Leah Norris finished a respectable sixth in the final of the women’s 55kg category at the National Exhibition Centre on Saturday, while Omarie Mears was 11th in the men’s 81kg competition yesterday at the same venue.

Chloe Whylie will feature in today’s women’s 76kg final while Yvgeni Henderson will lift in the final of the women’s 87kg competition.

“It’s great for our programme and our plans to build the sport locally but we can’t do it without having a local space to perform. Sky was our first female weightlifter to ever compete at the Commonwealth Games, and she placed sixth out of 11 competitors,” Broomfield told the Jamaica Observer.

“I’m very proud of her and the other athletes and their coaches for the work that they have been putting in. We can have more local Jamaicans representing Jamaica but it is very difficult without having a place to train. I must thank the Jamaica Olympic Association for their deliberate effort to expand the sporting associations in the Jamaican space, and the Sports Development Foundation (SDF) for their support. We are hopeful that what we have been able to accomplish in the two years we have been in existence will help convince the SDF and Government to give us a monthly subsistence that can help us grow the sport,” Broomfield said.

The administrator underlined the growth and development shown among the Jamaican competitors over the past couple of years as indications of the sport’s potential to excel further in the international space.

“From where we started to now being in our second year and we are already in the top eight in the Commonwealth is quite commendable,” Broomfield noted.

Leah Norris lifted 78kg in the snatch on her third attempt and managed 92kg in the clean and jerk for a 170kg total lift.

The event was won by Nigeria’s Adijat Olarinoye with a 92kg games record lift as well as a 111kg effort for a total of 203kg, which is also a Commonwealth Games record. The silver medal went to Bindyarani Sorokhaibam (86kg/116kg – 202kg) from India, with the bronze going to England’s Fraer Marrow (89kg/109kg – 198kg).

Mears lifted 126kg and 147kg for a total of 273kg, well off the weight of gold medallist Chris Murray from England (144kg/181kg – 325kg). Australia’s Kyle Bruce (143kg/180kg – 323kg) won silver while Canada’s Nicholas Vachon took the bronze with 140kg/180kg for a 320kg total.