There was a stunning medal success in Barcelona for Irvinestown’s Christine McCann as she returned home from the World Masters Weightlifting Championships with a bronze medal.

Up against a high quality field McCann proved that she is more than a match for the best as she secured a brilliant third place in the W50 58kg category.

“I’m delighted with the bronze medal,” she commented. “I had been hoping to get into the top ten after coming third at the European Championships but once I realised I was in with a chance of a medal I really went for it.”

It was that bronze at the Europeans in Budapest that qualified Christine for the World Championships although she entered the Worlds at a lower weight category.

“In the Europeans I won the bronze in the 63kg section but I went into the 58kg section for the World Championships,” said Christine, who explained that it took a lot of hard work and dedication to get ready for the event.

“I had to get down to the 58kg so nutrition was a big part of it.

“Over the summer it was about reducing body fat and increasing strength. I was at Cross Fit all summer competing and then four days a week I had lifting training, it was tough put it paid off,” she added.

The competition was strictly judged with the competitors weighed in two hours before they were scheduled to lift.

The competition was broke down into two sections; the snatch and the clean and jerk with Christine’s category competing on Monday.

“It was the World Championships so the refereeing was very tight. You had three lifts in snatch and three lifts in clean and jerk and the best one in each were added to together for your overall score.

“It is all very technical but the closer we got to the finish the more it looked like I might get on the podium. When I seen I was third I changed my strategy to make sure that I stayed there,” she said.

There will be little rest for Christine who is preparing to return to Cross Fit.

“I’ll be straight back to Cross Fit to try and qualify for the Regionals which are in September and October.”

And she would love to see more women involved in weightlifting.

“It would be great to see more women take up the sport. It has been hard work but it is definitely worth it, “ said the World Championships bronze medalist.