Commonwealth Games: Fraer Morrow lands a stunning weightlifting bronze

FANTASTIC Fraer Morrow landed a stunning weightlifting bronze at the Commonwealth Games that was so unbelievable she initially failed to realise she had made the podium.

She was billed with just an outside shot and Doncaster’s Morrow had to be told by an official that her total of 198kg was enough to place third after India’s Bindyarani Devi knocked her out of silver with the final lift of the women’s 55kg competition.

Former gymnast Morrow’s final clean and jerk attempt of 115kg would have seen her leapfrog Nigerian champion Adijat Adenike Olarinoye and despite the failure she celebrated with a backflip on stage, seemingly unaware she was still in line to medal for Team England.

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Morrow, 24, said: “It feels amazing, it has not quite sunk in yet.

PODIUM PLACE: Bronze Medalist England’s Fraer Morrow on the podium after the Women’s 55kg Weightlifting Competition at The NEC on day two of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Picture: PA Wire.PODIUM PLACE: Bronze Medalist England’s Fraer Morrow on the podium after the Women’s 55kg Weightlifting Competition at The NEC on day two of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Picture: PA Wire.
PODIUM PLACE: Bronze Medalist England’s Fraer Morrow on the podium after the Women’s 55kg Weightlifting Competition at The NEC on day two of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Picture: PA Wire.

“I didn’t even know I’d won the medal! The coaches came up to me and were like, ‘Ah better luck next time, it’s all right’.

“Then one of the ladies came up to me and was like, ‘How does it feel to be a bronze medallist?’ And I was like, ‘What?’

“I nearly cried because I’d missed out on a medal but then she came over and told me I had a medal, so that’s nice. I didn’t know what was happening and all I could see was all the coaches around the desk.

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“There was so much arguing, and I didn’t have a clue what was going on, so I just went out to do the lift and hoped for the best.”

Morrow came fifth at her first Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in 2018 and revealed she meant business this time around after moving up a weight class and is now zoning in on bagging a spot-on Team GB for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

She said: “It feels good to improve on what I did four years ago. The goal for this one was a lot different to the last one.

“The last one was just gone and enjoy it mainly and this one was to get a medal, but I still enjoyed it! Mission accomplished.

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“Hopefully, it puts me on the path to Paris 2024, that’s the next goal so I will be trying to do the qualification competitions for that one.”

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