The highlight of the British domestic calendar was staged in Derby, 40 miles from the Commonwealth Games venue at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre.

It was the first of five "extra" events in January and February - one per continental federation - that give athletes a last chance to qualify via the ranking lists after all the COVID-related disruption to the weightlifting calendar.

The other four "extras" will be hosted thousands of miles away in the last week of February in New Zealand, Singapore, Mauritius and Canada.

Athletes from Malta, Ghana and Jamaica joined those from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in a lively, well-attended Championships at the Derby Arena.

It featured some memorable sessions, national records in three events and a disappointing farewell for a 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medallist.

British lifters are among those who will take the standard in Birmingham to a far higher level than usual, said Paul Coffa, general secretary of the Commonwealth Weightlifting Federation, who has spent more than half a century in the sport.

For the first time since 1986, and the first time ever for a female lifter, there will be a reigning Olympic champion at the Commonwealth Games - Canada’s Maude Charron.

The last was Dean Lukin, the super-heavyweight fisherman who won Olympic gold for Australia in 1984, then won at the Edinburgh 1986 Commonwealth Games, coached by Coffa.

Olympic silver medallists from Britain and India - Emily Campbell and Mirabai Chanu - will be in Birmingham, as will athletes from seven Commonwealth nations who stood on the podium at the 2021 International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Championships.

They include Sarah Davies, who like Campbell will lift for England in Birmingham, plus the outstanding youngsters Talha Talib from Pakistan, Eileen Cikamatana from Australia and Adijat Olarinoye from Nigeria.

Malaysia and Samoa did not compete in Tokyo but both will send strong teams to Birmingham, and New Zealand will have high hopes of their super-heavyweight David Liti, who was fifth in Tokyo.

"The standard this year will be one of the highest in the history of the Commonwealth Games, with world-class performances in many of the categories," said Coffa.

He said that 25-30 nations would compete in the "extra" events.

"There is so much interest in the Commonwealth," he said.

Ashley Metcalfe, chief executive of British Weight Lifting, said there had been "a number of breathtaking performances" in Derby by those aiming to qualify.

"What makes it so good is that more and more countries are now competitive in weightlifting because the sport is cleaning up.

"The Commonwealth Games are going to be fantastic."

The same view was expressed by Craig Walker, President of the Canadian Weightlifting Federation.

He said: "You only have to look down all the weight categories and check the latest Commonwealth rankings and you can see that it’s going to be a memorable competition.

"It has the makings of an absolute classic… so many nations have strong teams.

"For Canadians it’s always been more important than the PanAm Games even though the PanAm Games are a bigger event.

"There’s a lot of camaraderie between the athletes. You sit in the stands and the teams are mixing and cheering each other on.

"I always tell parents of athletes just starting out that when the athlete is on the platform, the other athletes, coaches, technical officials - everybody wants that athlete to succeed.

"Birmingham is going to be a wonderful showcase for that, for all that’s best about this sport."

That camaraderie was visible in Derby when Gareth Evans, who won Commonwealth Games gold for Wales at the Gold Coast in 2018, failed to make a total in the 67kg.

After failing with all three snatch attempts at 120kg, Evans left his shoes on the platform to signal the end of an international career that began in 2010.

Evans, 35, was besieged by well-wishers afterwards and said: "They seem to be more upset than I am, which is quite flattering.

"It is what it is, it just didn’t happen today."

Davies moved up to 76kg, her heaviest weight yet, in Derby and despite forgoing her final lift she won comfortably with 96-120-216.

Fraer Morrow, who will be a medal contender for England, continued her impressive progress when she moved up to 59kg and edged out Jess Gordon Brown in an exciting session.

Morrow’s successful fifth attempt left her 1kg clear on 87-112-199, a career best total.

The 59kg national record holder Zoe Smith, who has had a run of bad luck with injuries, was clearly unimpressed with a jury overturn of her second clean and jerk in the 64kg, which was won by Jennifer Tong.

Campbell did not enter, having taken a break after her exertions last year in winning Olympic and World Championships medals.

There were national records for Noorin Gulam, with a clean and jerk of 88kg in winning the 49kg, and for Jack Oliver and Cyrille Tchatchet in the men’s events.

Oliver moved up the 73kg Commonwealth rankings when he made 136-159-295, setting records in snatch and total.

Tchatchet would have had a sweep of records at 96kg but failed with two attempts at 191kg in the clean and jerk and finished on 156-185-341.

Two Olympians, Davies and the now retired Emily Muskett, were involved as coaches too - a healthy sign for the future for British weightlifting.

And one of the biggest cheers of the weekend was for Davies’ and Campbell’s coach Cyril Martin, whose dedication over decades was rewarded with a lifetime achievement award.

Ali Jawad, the popular powerlifter who won a Paralympics silver medal in 2016, also won an award - both men being "recognised for their phenomenal input, dedication, commitment and success over many, many years" said Metcalfe.