Jamie gets Irish call-up after record success

Local lad Jamie Hill has continued his rise to weightlifting success with gold at last weekend’s Northern Ireland Championships, smashing some records along the way.

His performance has also earned the former Dromore Central and Banbridge Academy pupil a call-up to the Ireland squad for this weekend’s Celtic Nations Championships in Kilmarnock, Scotland as part of a team of youth lifters, which is an honour for Jamie and his St Gabriel’s Club in Belfast.

He took the gold medal in the 77kg class at Saturday’s Championships in the University of Ulster, Jordanstown, with a sinclair of 270.19.

Last year, he lifted 179kg in this competition so his winning performance this time around showed a significant increase considering he has been harbouring a wrist injury for a considerable period this season.

Jamie weighed in at 75.4kg and lifted 92kg in the snatch and 120kg in the clean and jerk.

He has beaten the previous Northern Ireland record for the clean and jerk of 115kg by 5kg and also the combined total. The record up until Jamie’s performance was 207.5kg and the Dromore lad totalled 212kg.

iJamie trains mostly five times every week and has also qualified to lift in the British Youth Championships for Under 18, Under 20 and Under 23 next year. He currently is the British Youth champion in the 77kg class nod once again hopes to retain that title next year.