The 2021 International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) European Championships kicked off on April 3, 2021, in Moscow, Russia. Although they continue until April 11, history has already been made. Emily Muskett of Great Britain earned gold in the 71-kilogram weight class. This is the first time Great Britain has seen gold in this specific event in over two and a half decades. The last British weightlifter to win a European Weightlifting Championships (EWC) was Myrtle Augee at 83-kilograms in 1995.
Here were Muskett’s stats from the event where she weighed in at 70.42 kilograms bodyweight:
- Snatch — 98 kilograms (216.1 pounds)
- Clean & Jerk — 129 kilograms (284.4 pounds)
- Total — 227 kilograms (500.4 pounds)
You can check out the entire competition for the Women’s 71-kilogram weight class below courtesy of Weightlifting Spirit’s YouTube channel:
Note: Muskett’s snatch attempts are at 12:23, 18:45, and 22:35. Her clean & jerk attempts are at 48:08, 50:00, and 51:10.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DT6LJGqxDwc
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At 31 years old, Muskett, who was registered to compete as Emily Godley, is the 10th British weightlifter to win a European Senior Weightlifting Championship title in British Weight Lifting‘s (BWL) 110-year history. Her 227-kilogram (500.4-pound) total was eight kilograms more than the runner-up, Alessia Durante of Italy, and nine kilograms more than the bronze medalist, Raluca Olaru of Romania.
Muskett’s 98-kilogram (216.1-pound) snatch was the heaviest of the competition alongside Olaru. Muskett hit that lift after missing a 97-kilogram (213.8-pound) lift on her second attempt. Muskett’s 129-kilogram (284.4-pound) clean & jerk was also the heaviest of the competition. She called for 132 kilograms (291-pounds) on the barbell for her third attempt but missed.
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This win for Muskett adds another gold to her already decorated resume. She was the gold medalist at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in the 75-kilogram class and the 2019 Commonwealth Championships at 71 kilograms. She secured a silver medal with a 216-kilogram (476.2-pound) total in the 71-kilogram class at the 2019 EWC (the 2020 EWC was canceled due to COVID-19). She earned a bronze in the clean & jerk at the 2019 World Weightlifting Championships en route to a fourth-place finish (also at 71 kilograms).
Since 2010, she has competed in five different weight classes (63, 69, 71, 75, and 76 kilograms). 63 kilograms and 69 kilograms are weight classes of the past since the IWF approved weightlifting’s new bodyweight categories in 2018. 71-kilograms is a non-Olympic weight class, but Muskett has experience competing at 76-kilograms, which is. We will see if Muskett’s success from the EWC will ultimately land her a spot on Team Great Britain for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
Featured image: @britishwl on Instagram
