European Classic Masters 2023 - Day one preview

 

The British Classic Masters team heads out to Budapest soon for the Europeans.  Here's a quick look at the first day of competition.  (All times are GMT).

Day 1 will be Tuesday 28th February and the first session for the British team will kick off at 2.30pm with the M3 women.  Many time world champion and world games medallist, Jenny Hunter, will lead us out in the 52kg class.  Nominated in third place, Jenny has been lifting for over 40 years and still holds a couple of world records in bench press so we fully expect that bench gold medal to come home with Jenny.

We have two Brits in the 57s.  Val Dourley took the European M3 squat record out in St Johns last year so she will be looking to push this on a little.  In nominations, she is neck and neck with Caroline Cunniffe from Ireland for second place so this would give her a nice boost.  Deborah Tiernan is a decent chunk ahead though and you have to think that she is the favourite for the title.

In the 63kg class we have Susan Sabuda, veteran of many an international but it’s a tough field and she will have her work cut out to match the overall bronze she brought home last year.   Right at the top of the nominations in the 63s is relative newcomer, Joan Trimble.   She took the silver medal at the World Masters last year and snagged the European squat record into the bargain.  She wasn’t far off the world record either – will she hit it this time and bring home her first international title?

Caroline Calver, having moved up to the 69kg class, is nominated in 4^th place and will need to push hard to make headway in this higher weightclass.  Jackie Blasbery is the last Brit out on Day 1, competing in the 84+kg class.  Another lifter with a long history, she has got more competition results up on OpenIPF than anyone else and we know that record isn’t (yet) complete.  Jackie is in a tight battle for the European title with only 2.5kg separating her from her Swedish rival - she's been off the platform for a little while recently but here's hoping that we see a return to form to finish up the first day.