TEAM ENGLAND’S Emily Campbell claimed weightlifting gold in the women’s +87kg category at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

The 28-year-old set a new personal best and Games record of 124kg in the snatch portion of the event, three kilograms clear of reigning champion Feagaiga Stowers of Samoa.

In front of a packed crowd at the NEC, the duo traded Games records with their opening clean-and-jerks, before Stowers failed on 154kg to confirm the gold medal for Campbell.

With two lifts still to go, Campbell raised the bar again with a successful lift of 157kg, before rounding off her competition by executing 162kg, eclipsing her total score in the Tokyo Olympics by three kilograms.

Afterwards Campbell paid tribute to four-time Commonwealth champion Precious McKenzie, now 86 years old, who watched from the front row. The pair have been the subjects of a play, Precious Emily, about their respective routes through the sport which has been staged at West Midlands theatres.

“Precious is immense in his own right,” said Campbell. “His words to me before I came out today were, ‘everybody is expecting you to win – you go out and win.’ I couldn’t have asked for any better advice.

“Precious has done immense things for weightlifting and he’s still here at 86 years old giving back to the sport.  When Precious McKenzie tells you to go out and win, you go out and win.”

The 28-year-old Campbell, who had shared flag-bearing duties at last week’s opening ceremony, wrapped up what she described as her “perfect Games” with six consecutive clean lifts that saw her comfortably beat Stowers and Amoe-Tarrant to guarantee gold with two lifts remaining.