Weightlifter disappointed to miss out
16th March 2006Weightlifter Jo Calvino finished just outside the medals in Melbourne today (Thursday), placing fourth in the women’s under-48kg weight category on the opening day of the Commonwealth Games.
The result was an improvement on the Manchester Games for the 26-year-old, who competed in 2002 at the higher weight category of under–53kg, but failed to complete a lift in either the snatch or clean & jerk.
At the lower weight category she had strong opposition in a tactical competition, which finished with India’s Kunjamrani Devi Nameirakpam, the defending Commonwealth Champion, taking gold.
Marilou Dozois-Prevost of Canada took silver and Erika Yuriko of Australia bronze.
Jo, the nine times British Champion from Croydon, lifted 64kg on the snatch and 83kg on the clean and jerk. Both these lifts set new British records.
Afterwards Jo said, “After Manchester a fourth could be considered a good result, but I am still extremely disappointed not to win the first medal for England.
“It was tactical out there but we knew it would be. Going forward I now need to concentrate on the European Championships and also qualifying for Beijing.
“We also need to decide whether I am going to go back up a weight category. However, I need to take from this that I am not far off my best even having gone down a weight,” she added. “I am also really pleased to have set British records here today”.