Smith bags European weightlifting bronze

Zoe Smith kept her Tokyo 2020 qualification ambitions in rude health with Great Britain's first overall medal of the 2019 European Weightlifting Championships.

The 24-year-old Londoner, a former Commonwealth Games gold-medallist who competed at London 2012, took bronze in the women’s -64kg category in Batumi, Georgia.

Smith, who also won -63kg silver at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on Australia’s Gold Coast, completed two of her three snatches, hitting 93 and 96kgs respectively before hitting out on 98kg.

But she roared back in the clean and jerk, nailing three lifts from three – 122, 126 and 128kg respectively.

That saw her take clean and jerk silver, as well as bronze overall for the classification.

Romanian duo Loredana Toma – the 2017 World Champion – and Irina Lepsa took overall gold and silver respectively.

Smith was joined in -64kg action by another British Commonwealth Games medal-winner in Sarah Davies, who took -69kg silver on the Gold Coast last year.

The 26-year-old finished fourth overall, hitting a maximum of 98kg in the snatch and 125kg in the clean and jerk.