Andrea Hams, who in another life was a running champion, finished sixth in the women’s 69kg weightlifting event today.
Hams, competing as Andrea Miller, won the bronze medal in the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games in the 100m hurdles.
Life has moved on for her. She has married, settled on the Gold Coast and taken up weightlifting.
“It used to be a row of hurdles and now it’s the platform,” she joked.
Though she was some distance behind the 69kg division winner, Punam Yadau of India, who totalled 222kg, Hams was competitive throughout.
She missed her first snatch at 92kg, got it on her second attempt and then lifted 95kg, which equalled her personal best. On to the clean and jerk she lifted 109kg, but missed at 114kg and 115kg, so had a total of 204kg.
“I’m happy with how I went. I gave it a go,” she said. “Weightlifting is very tactical – sometimes you have to change your plan as things develop.”