By Emily Goddard

Sarah Davies is targeting weightlifting gold at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games ©starnow.comFebruary 17 - Sarah Davies, a former Miss Leeds, has said she is targeting gold in the weightlifting competition at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

The former gymnast, who says "strong is the new sexy", got into the sport in September 2011 through her Olympic weightlifting boyfriend Jack Oliver and she said she took to it "like a duck to water".

"Being the competitive person that I am, I kept going," Davies added.

She recently secured individual bronze at the annual Tri-Nations Tournament, with personal bests of 82kg and 105kg in the senior women's category, as England secured victory against Sweden and Norway, but she now hopes to step it up a gear at this year's Commonwealth Games.

"I'd like a gold medal there [at Glasgow 2014]," she told BBC Sport.

"After three years training that would be incredible but there's a lot of hard work to go in between now and then to get there."

Sarah Davies got into weightlifting through her Olympian boyfriend Jack Oliver ©Getty ImagesSarah Davies got into weightlifting through her Olympian boyfriend Jack Oliver ©Getty Images


Davies also has her sights set on Rio 2016 after being inspired by her home Games in 2012 and has aspirations of becoming Britain's first woman to secure an Olympic medal in the sport.

"To get to watch it [the Olympics] at London you just get so hungry to be in that environment," she explained.

"To get to go to Rio would be excellent.

"We've never had a British female weightlifting medallist and I'd like to do that."

Davies is also training to be a PE teacher and hopes to inspire other young girls to give weightlifting a go.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
December 2013: London 2012 Olympian Oliver named British Weight Lifting Athlete of the Year
November 2013: Exclusive - England reveal Team Leaders for Glasgow 2014
November 2013: Coaching team for Glasgow 2014 announced by British Weight Lifting