New world champ targets Olympics

JONATHAN REDHEAD

After conquering the powerlifting world, Norwich teenager Hadley Jones has switched his sights firmly to the 2012 London Olympics.

The 18-year-old trainee painter and decorator has recently returned from Italy as a four-times gold medallist after blowing away the opposition in the World Drug Free Powerlifting Federation world championships.

Jones, from Sprowston also landed four world records to boot and has now completed a clean sweep of British, European and World titles this year.

He won every title in his 67.5kg category in Italy, including the equipped sections where he was making his debut. He even won his final two championships against the advice of English team bosses who felt he was too tired, and managed to lift a massive 185kgs in the equipped dead lift.

Jones, who has only been lifting little more than a year, is believed to be England's first world champion in his category.

But after sweeping his opponents aside, the Lowestoft College student is leaving powerlifting and switching his attentions instead to weightlifting, so he can compete at the London games in five years time.

Powerlifting is not an Olympic sport, while weightlifting is, and Jones has enlisted the help of British Masters Weightlifting Champion Bryan Preece to help him make the switch.

73-year-old Preece, the former head of adult education in Norfolk, has agreed to assist the teenager, who he believes could have the skill to thrive in weightlifting.

“He clearly seems to have talent,” Preece said.

“It seems to me his body levers and bone length could be suited even better to olympic weightlifting than powerlifting.

“For a lad of his age he is very, very strong.”