Lifters in the medals

Graham ‘Big Show’ Mellor scooped a silver in Kaunas, while Bekki Williams left with a bronze.

Coaches Marc Giles and James Bell accompanied four club members.

In the over 50s 57kg category, Michelle Franklin had lifts of 65kg and 70kg before securing fourth place with her final lift of 82.5kg.

Williams, competing in the over 40s 84kg class, opened with 87.5kg, which beat her Finnish rival and, and after a long wait, her Norwegian opponent failed to make a lift, giving Bekki a brilliant bronze at her first international.

Jesse Johnson made two sucessful lifts in the men’s 59kg class, finishing with 120kgs for an eighth-place finish.

Mellor played it safe to secure a silver medal with an easy 280kg bench in the 120-plus junior category.

In his seven years competing at international junior level, Mellor has won two golds, two silvers and a bronze, as well as the Arnold Classic.

He remains the only junior ever to bench 300kgs in British powerlifting.

The next event for the bench pressers will be the Europeans in October.