Gareth Evans (weightlifter)

Gareth Irfon Evans (born 18 April 1986) is a British 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]

Gareth Evans

Personal information
Birth name	Gareth Irfon Evans
Nationality	Wales
Born	(1986-04-18) 18 April 1986 Dundee, Scotland
Residence	Holyhead, Anglesey, North Wales
Height	1.69 m (5 ft 7 in)
Weight	69 kg (152 lb)
Sport
Country	Wales/Great Britain
Sport	Weightlifting
Event(s)	–69kg
Club	Holyhead Weightlifting Club[1]
Coached by	Ray Williams & Tamas Feher[1]
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	total: 299 kg (Queensland 2018) snatch: 136 kg (Queensland 2018) c&j: 163 kg (Queensland 2018)
Medal record Men's weightlifting Representing  Wales Commonwealth Games 2018 Gold Coast 69kg
Updated on 6 April 2018.

Early and personal life

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

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

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

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

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

References

1. http://www.dailypost.co.uk/sport/other-sport/weightlifting-gareth-evans-says-owes-2658427
2. Gareth Evans. Britishweightlifting.org. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
3. Weightlifting: Gareth Evans realises his Olympic dream. walesonline.co.uk, 11 June 2012
4. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/19067610
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. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/commonwealthgames/11004040/Commonwealth-Games-Weightlifters-fighting-over-a-girl-end-in-court.html
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.

External links

• Gareth Evans at the International Olympic Committee
• Gareth Evans at Team GB
• Gareth Evans at Olympics at Sports-Reference.com (archived)