Gareth Evans (weightlifter)

Gareth Irfon Evans (born 18 April 1986) is a Welsh weightlifter.[2] He has competed in the 62 kg and 69 kg weight categories, and was selected to represent Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics.[3]

Gareth Evans
Personal information
Birth nameGareth Irfon Evans
NationalityWales
Born (1986-04-18) 18 April 1986
Dundee, Scotland
Height1.69 m (5 ft 7 in)
Weight69 kg (152 lb)
Sport
CountryWales/Great Britain
SportWeightlifting
Event(s)–69kg
ClubHolyhead Weightlifting Club[1]
Coached byRay Williams & Tamas Feher[1]
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)total: 299 kg (Queensland 2018) snatch: 136 kg (Queensland 2018) c&j: 163 kg (Queensland 2018)
Medal record
Men's weightlifting
Representing  Wales
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place2018 Gold Coast69kg
Commonwealth Championships
Silver medal – second place2019 Apia67kg
Bronze medal – third place2011 Cape Town69kg
Bronze medal – third place2016 Penang69kg
Updated on 19 January 2022.

Early and personal life

Evans was born to North Wales parents then resident in Dundee, Scotland, but the family moved back to their home in Holyhead, Anglesey before Evans started his schooling.

Evans started weightlifting aged 12, when he joined the local Holyhead Weightlifting Club.[1][4] A trained painter and decorator, he gave up his job in preparation for the London 2012 Olympic Games, and moved for the preceding year to Headingley, Leeds, to train full-time at the British Weight Lifting High Performance Centre.

Evans has a daughter.[4]

Career

At the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Francois Etoundi a Cameroon-born weightlifter competing for Australia, competed in the men's 77 kg event where he won a bronze medal.[5] The following day, he was arrested for breaking the nose of Evans, and ordered to pay £400 after appearing at Glasgow Sheriff Court. Etoundi was later stripped of his Commonwealth Games accreditation and sent home in disgrace.[6][7][8]

London 2012 Olympics

At the 2012 Olympics, in the snatch he lifted 130 kg, but failed his final attempt at 133 kg. In the clean and jerk, he lifted 158 kg but failed at 160 kg. With a personal best total of 288 kg, as well as personal bests in both the snatch and the clean and jerk, he finished eighth in group B and 17th overall in the 69 kg weight category.[9][10]

Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games

Gareth Evans clinched his first Commonwealth Games medal during the 2018 Commonwealth Games on 6 April 2018 after winning a gold medal in the men's 69kg weightlifting event.[11] This was also the first gold medal won by Wales at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.[12]

Major results
Year Venue Weight Snatch (kg) Clean & Jerk (kg) Total Rank
123Rank123Rank
Representing  Great Britain
Olympic Games
2012United Kingdom London, Great Britain69 kg125130133181531581601728817
World Championships
2014Kazakhstan Almaty, Kazakhstan62 kg118118118—14615115117——
2011France Paris, France69 kg115120125401451451454226541
European Championships
2016Norway Førde, Norway62 kg115119122101421421461226111
2012Turkey Antalya, Turkey69 kg121121126151501501551427114
2010Belarus Minsk, Belarus62 kg105108111131301351371324613
Representing  Wales
Commonwealth Games
2018Australia Gold Coast, Australia69 kg1301331362nd place, silver medalist(s)1601631652nd place, silver medalist(s)2991st place, gold medalist(s)
2014Scotland Glasgow, Scotland62 kg118120120614714715052685
2010India Delhi, India62 kg105110111131351401401224612

References
  1. "Weightlifting: Gareth Evans says he owes his Olympic call-up to Holyhead Weightlifting Club". 12 June 2012.
  2. Gareth Evans. Britishweightlifting.org. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  3. Weightlifting: Gareth Evans realises his Olympic dream. walesonline.co.uk, 11 June 2012
  4. "Evans targets Commonwealth crown". BBC Sport.
  5. McCullough, Ian (28 July 2014). "Francois Etoundi overcomes injury to win bronze". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 20 October 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
  6. "Weightlifter Francois Etoundi fined for headbutt that broke Welsh rival's nose". The Guardian. UK. 31 July 2014.
  7. "Weightlifter Francois Etoundi attacks Welsh athlete". UK: BBC Sport. 31 July 2014.
  8. "Commonwealth Games: Weightlifters fighting over a girl end in court".
  9. "Olympics 2012: Gareth Evans sets three personal bests". BBC Sport. 31 July 2012. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  10. Gareth Evans. Team GB. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  11. "Commonwealth Games: Welsh weightlifter Gareth Evans wins -69kg gold". BBC Sport. 6 April 2018. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  12. "Weightlifter Gareth Evans is the first competitor to win a gold medal for Wales in the Commonwealth Games". ITV News. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
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