Western Australian weightlifter Jessica Lai has taken second place in her weight class at the 2017 Australian Selection Trials in Sydney.
The 28 year-old posted a combined total of 197kg in the women’s 69kg class which saw her second ranked behind NSW’s Philippa Malone (210kg).
Lai produced an impressive campaign in the harbour city that featured a new personal best in snatch discipline – with her best clear at 93kg eclipsing her previous mark by three kilograms. She also registered 104kg in the clean and jerk.
Commonwealth Games Australia has yet to release details of the team for next year’s campaign on the Gold Coast, with the weightlifting events set to be hosted at the Carrara Sports and Leisure Centre.
WA Para-Powerlifters Ben Wright and Nang Nguyen both recently competed successfully at the World Championships in Mexico, strengthening their selection claims for the Australian Para-Powerlifting Team in the process.
Wright – who competed at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games – finished in 11th rank in the men’s 88kg class, whilst Nguyen – who is seeking a debut selection – was 17th in the men’s 59kg classification.
Crucially, both men were the top ranked Oceania contestants in their respective fields, enhancing their prospects of making the Australian team when it is formally unveiled in early 2018.
Para-Powerlifting will similarly be hosted at the Carrara Sports and Leisure Centre next year, with the venue also secured for Badminton and Wrestling across the April 4-15 Commonwealth Games.
