Sugden named in Team England's Para Powerlifting squad for Games
Maidenhead's Louise Sugden has been included in Team England's Para Powerlifting Team for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham later this summer.
Team England has announced 14 weightlifters and seven para powerlifters to represent the country and they'll be hoping to 'bring it home' at the NEC Arena from Saturday, July 30 to Thursday, August 4.
Sugden has previous Paralympic experience having claimed bronze in the 86kg class in Tokyo last year.
In what proved to be a thrilling competition, Sugden lifted 131kg - enough to beat the previous world record had it not already been shattered by Nigeria’s Folashade Oluwafemiayo, who won gold with 152kg, and China’s Zheng Feifel taking silver with a lift of 139kg.
The world record was broken four times during the event by three different athletes. The Maidenhead athpowerlifting lete had a nervy wait to find out she had made the podium after judges initially gave her medal-winning attempt as a 'no lift'.
Appeals are common in powerlifting and Sugden always had faith the no lift decision would be overturned.
Sugden brought home one of three powerlifting medals for Paralympics GB, after Mickey Yule and Olivia Broome also won bronze earlier in the programme.
Sugden has made the para powerlifting squad alongside Liam McGarry, Kent, Mark Swan, Seaham, Olivia Broome, Chorley, Rebecca Bedford, Yoxall, Zoe Newson, Colchester, and Matt Harding, Wirral
Speaking on her excitement to represent Team England, Sugden said
“I’m buzzing and really happy to be selected to represent Team England again. I’m so excited at the fact that there is going to be a crowd for one and it’s a home crowd which is really special. I competed at London 2012 [in wheelchair basketball] and it was like having an extra person in the team. Having the home support is going to be the extra bit that we need to get those lifts in.”
Sugden took up para-powerlifting in 2017 after retiring from international basketball in August 2016. She achieved almost instant success, winning silver at the Commonwealth Games in 2018 and gold medals at the Ready Steady Tokyo events in 2019 and Manchester World Cup in 2020.
She still coaches wheelchair basketball in her spare time, having competed in the sport for her country at both the Beijing and London Games.
Team England’s Chef de Mission, Mark England OBE, welcomed the athletes to the team: “It’s a privilege to welcome our weightlifters and para powerlifters to Team England for the home Games this summer. The team has experience and talent in abundance. I’m hopeful that we’ll see success and I’m excited to watch them compete as they aim to ‘Bring It Home’ in Birmingham.”
The Commonwealth Games is a multi-sport event with a fully integrated programme of para sport disciplines and this year’s Games promises to be extra special with full stadiums and arenas after Tokyo 2020 took place behind closed doors.