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There's one medal I want, says Breeze as she blasts reduction
(Western Mail Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)Commonwealth Games gold medallist Michaela Breeze has hit out at the reduction of weightlifting medals in Melbourne. Breeze struck gold for Wales in the snatch discipline in Manchester four years ago - and collected silvers for clean-and-jerk and overall final position. Under the new format, though, Breeze would only have won a solitary silver as the amounts lifted for the two disciplines in Melbourne will be added together to produce combined totals.
And that, says Devon-based Breeze, is unfair when gymnasts have the opportunity to win medals on several different pieces of apparatus.
'Snatch and clean-and-jerk are two distinct disciplines in weightlifting and you often get people who are better at one than the other,' said the 26-year-old (pictured left). 'It was good weightlifters were rewarded in that way and it seems unfair taking the medals away when you consider they still have individual medals in gymnastics.
'I think they thought they were giving out too many medals and it is unfortunate, but I suppose it does fall in line with the Olympics which only has one medal.
'So one medal it is - and there is only one I want.'
That colour is most definitely gold as Breeze, having undergone knee surgery as recently as December, starts the 63kg class ranked No 1 in the Commonwealth and favourite for victory on Sunday night.
It is a measure of Breeze's dedication that she was 'fighting to get in the gym' a week after going under the surgeon's knife and she reckons her gold medal ambitions have not been compromised.
'I'm pleased with the way rehab has gone and I feel stronger,' she said. 'I just hope everything holds out for the last week.
'There is quite a lot of pressure on me because of my Commonwealth ranking, but I've just got to shut everything out.
'I can't worry or think about medals. I've just got to produce a good performance and see where that takes me.'
Breeze enters the Commonwealth Games after a period of disruption in Welsh weightlifting with Wales being allowed to compete at European and world level as a separate entity.
Though that decision was welcomed by Welsh weightlifting supremo Myrddin John, Breeze feels it will do little for the sport in Wales and she is pinning her colours firmly to the British mast as far as non-Commonwealth competition is concerned. 'Personally, I don't believe it's a good move Wales has split from Great Britain,' she said. 'Wales hasn't got the strength or depth to compete at world and European level and I feel Welsh weightlifting is going to suffer. 'Of course, Wales should compete separately at Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth championships, but my loyalty lies with Britain in terms of the Europeans and worlds. 'That's where we have to qualify for the Olympic Games and it's only right I compete for Britain as that's what I'll be doing at the Olympics. 'I don't think Welsh weightlifting has got the funding to take on the challenge of the Europeans and the worlds. We've only got four Welsh weightlifters in Melbourne and that's an indication that the sport is struggling. 'There are very few clubs nurturing kids and until we address that problem we're not going to do much. You can't rely on the older lifters to keep on competing for ever.':FROM PAGE 37: GAMES CALAMATIES & CONTROVERSIES:Percy williams the sprinter felt both agony and ecstasy at the first Games, held in Hamilton, Canada, in 1930. He tore a groin muscle halfway through the 100-yard dash but continued and won the gold medal before collapsing on the track. The injury ended his career. APARTHEID SOUTH AFRICA'S apartheid policy - and its potential effect on athletes and officials - prevented the Games being staged in Johannesburg in 1934. The event switched to London. APARTHEID II A NUMBER of objections were raised at the 1958 Games in Cardiff to South Africa's team, which had been selected on the basis of race and colour. The fall-out led to South Africa withdrawing from the Commonwealth three years later. PROGRAMME CHANGE THE decision to drop lawn bowls and rowing at the 1970 event in Kingston, Jamaica, and replace them with badminton and shooting was a matter of controversy at the time. TERRORISM THE massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics meant the 'Friendly Games' took on a different appearance in Christchurch, New Zealand, two years later with a high-profile police presence and security guards around the athletes' village. APARTHEID III THE 1982 Edinburgh event became known as the 'Boycott Games' after 32 Commonwealth nations decided not to attend because of their opposition to apartheid in sport. GOLDEN GOAL HEARTBREAK THE women's hockey final in Manchester four years ago saw England lodge two official protests after India's golden goal winner was disallowed before that decision was overruled by the technical bench. The players remained on the pitch for 90 minutes before the objection was withdrawn 'for the good of the sport'.
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