Smith only British weightlifter to hit top level Olympic selection standard

By Sportsbeat staff

ZOE Smith has all but secured her Olympic place after victory at the British Weightlifting Championship in Derbyshire.

JOB DONE: Zoe Smith recorded a new personal best to all but secure her Olympic selection at the British Weightlifting Championships (Getty Images)

The 18-year old Commonwealth Games medallist, who competes in the 63kg category, beat her own personal best to record a total lift of 211kg -  94kg snatch and 117kg clean and jerk.

It means the teenager has achieved the Olympic A standard twice - the only lifter to hit the top-level selection criteria set by British team officials.

She will be joined on the team by one more woman and three men, providing they lift the A standard twice or B standard once - with this weekend the final opportunity to stake their claim.

That means 69kg hopeful Natasha Purdue's London 2012 aspirations are now surely over. She achieved the B standard at April's European Championship but failed to register a total after three no lifts in the clean and jerk.

Smith will now likely be joined by either Jo Calvino or Emily Godley, who both hit the B standard for the second time in just over a month.

In the men's competition, Commonwealth Games silver medallist Peter Kirkbride and Gareth Evans both registered B standards for a second time to put themselves in pole position for selection.

But there was disappointment for Jack Oliver after he failed all three snatch attempts and crashed out of the 77kg weight category.

But he does have one B standard lift to fall back on from earlier in the year.

© Sportsbeat 2012