Helen Hughes targets medal success at World Bench Press Championships in Japan

Helen Hughes is looking forward to stepping out on the world stage again when she heads to Japan for the World Open, Sub Junior, Junior & Master Classic & Equipped Bench Press Championships
Helen Hughes - the European Champion and British record holderHelen Hughes - the European Champion and British record holder
Helen Hughes - the European Champion and British record holder

The 42-year-old powerlifter, who trains in Gosport, is just back from a successful mission in Europe where she earned a gold medal.

She is the British record holder for her category and will be in confident mood going to Tokyo, with the target of picking up another major medal.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

She said: ‘I’m looking forward to it. It will be an interesting place to go.

‘When you go to these big competitions you get to meet lots of other lifters and it’s a good experience.

‘Hopefully I can comeback with a medal. I’ll be representing Great Britain and we will have a good group out there.

‘Then after this I am going to Sweden for the European Championships so it is going to be a busy time.’

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Hughes has really progressed superbly after taking up the sport and she is continuing to set big new marks.

It is a reward for all the hard training she has put in at Fitness 24, in Gosport, with her coach Ellie Steel.

Hughes added: ‘I won the Europeans in Hungary in March. That was a full powerlifting competition so you had bench, squat and deadlift.

‘It was a good quality competition and I had a 10kg margin. 

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘I got a 125kg squat personal best. My bench was 82.5kg and meadlift was 140kg. I was really happy. I got silver last time so the aim was to get gold this year and I did it.’

Hughes competes in the under-57kg category. She is in the 40-50 age group which is masters one.

She will be out in Japan for nine days from May 14, competing in both the classic bench and the equipped bench competitions.

Fitness 24 is in Aerodrome Road, in Gosport.

The south midlands group of the Great Britain squad train there so they are always encouraging and supporting each other.