WARRINGTON weightlifter Andrew Griffiths admitted he was overwhelmed after winning a bronze medal for Team England at the Commonwealth Games – before celebrating with family and supporters outside Glasgow’s SEC Armadillo venue.
Griffiths secured bronze in the Men’s +110kg competition with a combined lift of 356kg, producing one of the performances of his career after arriving in Glasgow ranked fourth and outside the medal positions.
When his final clean and jerk confirmed a place on the podium, the emotion was impossible to hide.
“It still doesn’t feel real,” said Griffiths. “I just felt overwhelmed. When I realised I’d won a Commonwealth medal, I felt the tears start.”
The atmosphere inside the arena also forced the experienced lifter to change his usual competition routine.
Griffiths normally listens to upbeat music between lifts to fire himself up. But with the Glasgow crowd creating an electric atmosphere, he opted for calmer music instead.
“The crowd was unbelievable,” he said. “Normally I’m listening to old-school hip hop to get me going, but this time I needed something more mellow to bring myself back down and stay relaxed between lifts, the crowd were doing all the hard work.”
Outside the arena, cheers erupted as Griffiths emerged wearing his Team England tracksuit and bronze medal. His sister and brother were among the first to greet him before he embraced his mum as television cameras captured the celebrations.
Members of Warrington’s AMG Lifting Lab were waiting with England flags and specially designed T-shirts, celebrating the achievement of the athlete they have trained alongside throughout his Commonwealth Games journey.
Griffiths said one of the moments he is looking forward to most is taking the medal back to the gym.
“I can’t wait to walk back into AMG Lifting Lab with this around my neck,” he said. “Everyone there has been part of this journey. They’ve seen the hard work, the setbacks and everything that’s gone into this medal, so it’ll be really special to share it with them.”
As the celebrations continued outside the SEC Armadillo, the bronze medal marked not only the biggest achievement of Griffiths’ career, but the culmination of years of dedication from both the Warrington athlete and the community that helped him reach the Commonwealth podium.
