Gareth Evans (weightlifter)

Gareth Evans
Personal information
Birth nameGareth Irfon Evans
NationalityWales
Born (1986-04-18) 18 April 1986 (age 38)
Dundee, Scotland
Height1.69 m (5 ft 7 in)
Weight69 kg (152 lb)
Sport
CountryWales/Great Britain
SportWeightlifting
Event–69kg
ClubHolyhead Weightlifting Club[1]
Coached byRay Williams & Tamas Feher[1]
Achievements and titles
Personal besttotal: 299 kg (Queensland 2018) snatch: 136 kg (Queensland 2018) c&j: 163 kg (Queensland 2018)
Medal record
Men's weightlifting
Representing  Wales
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place 2018 Gold Coast 69kg
Commonwealth Championships
Silver medal – second place 2019 Apia 67kg
Bronze medal – third place 2011 Cape Town 69kg
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Penang 69kg
Updated on 19 January 2022

Gareth Irfon Evans (born 18 April 1986) is a Welsh weightlifter.[2] He has competed in the 62 kg and 69 kg weight categories, and was selected to represent Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics.[3]

Early and personal life

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Evans was born to North Wales parents then resident in Dundee, Scotland, but the family moved back to their home in Holyhead, Anglesey before Evans started his schooling.

Evans started weightlifting aged 12, when he joined the local Holyhead Weightlifting Club.[1][4] A trained painter and decorator, he gave up his job in preparation for the London 2012 Olympic Games, and moved for the preceding year to Headingley, Leeds, to train full-time at the British Weight Lifting High Performance Centre.

Evans has a daughter.[4]

Career

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At the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Francois Etoundi a Cameroon-born weightlifter competing for Australia, competed in the men's 77 kg event where he won a bronze medal.[5] The following day, he was arrested for breaking the nose of Evans, and ordered to pay £400 after appearing at Glasgow Sheriff Court. Etoundi was later stripped of his Commonwealth Games accreditation and sent home in disgrace.[6][7][8]

London 2012 Olympics

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At the 2012 Olympics, in the snatch he lifted 130 kg, but failed his final attempt at 133 kg. In the clean and jerk, he lifted 158 kg but failed at 160 kg. With a personal best total of 288 kg, as well as personal bests in both the snatch and the clean and jerk, he finished eighth in group B and 17th overall in the 69 kg weight category.[9][10]

Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games

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Gareth Evans clinched his first Commonwealth Games medal during the 2018 Commonwealth Games on 6 April 2018 after winning a gold medal in the men's 69kg weightlifting event.[11] This was also the first gold medal won by Wales at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.[12]

Major results

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Year Venue Weight Snatch (kg) Clean & Jerk (kg) Total Rank
1 2 3 Rank 1 2 3 Rank
Representing  Great Britain
Olympic Games
2012 United Kingdom London, Great Britain 69 kg 125 130 133 18 153 158 160 17 288 17
World Championships
2014 Kazakhstan Almaty, Kazakhstan 62 kg 118 118 118 146 151 151 17
2011 France Paris, France 69 kg 115 120 125 40 145 145 145 42 265 41
European Championships
2016 Norway Førde, Norway 62 kg 115 119 122 10 142 142 146 12 261 11
2012 Turkey Antalya, Turkey 69 kg 121 121 126 15 150 150 155 14 271 14
2010 Belarus Minsk, Belarus 62 kg 105 108 111 13 130 135 137 13 246 13
Representing  Wales
Commonwealth Games
2018 Australia Gold Coast, Australia 69 kg 130 133 136 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 160 163 165 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 299 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2014 Scotland Glasgow, Scotland 62 kg 118 120 120 6 147 147 150 5 268 5
2010 India Delhi, India 62 kg 105 110 111 13 135 140 140 12 246 12

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Weightlifting: Gareth Evans says he owes his Olympic call-up to Holyhead Weightlifting Club". 12 June 2012.
  2. ^ Gareth Evans Archived 16 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Britishweightlifting.org. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  3. ^ Weightlifting: Gareth Evans realises his Olympic dream. walesonline.co.uk, 11 June 2012
  4. ^ a b "Evans targets Commonwealth crown". BBC Sport.
  5. ^ McCullough, Ian (28 July 2014). "Francois Etoundi overcomes injury to win bronze". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 20 October 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
  6. ^ "Weightlifter Francois Etoundi fined for headbutt that broke Welsh rival's nose". The Guardian. UK. 31 July 2014.
  7. ^ "Weightlifter Francois Etoundi attacks Welsh athlete". UK: BBC Sport. 31 July 2014.
  8. ^ "Commonwealth Games: Weightlifters fighting over a girl end in court".
  9. ^ "Olympics 2012: Gareth Evans sets three personal bests". BBC Sport. 31 July 2012. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  10. ^ Gareth Evans. Team GB. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  11. ^ "Commonwealth Games: Welsh weightlifter Gareth Evans wins -69kg gold". BBC Sport. 6 April 2018. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  12. ^ "Weightlifter Gareth Evans is the first competitor to win a gold medal for Wales in the Commonwealth Games". ITV News. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
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