SWINDON Barbell took five lifters to the British Equipped Championships and came home with five trophies.

Two of them were British champions, coach Charlie Shotton-Gale and Christie Civetta, plus a further two silver and one bronze medals won.

Championships debutant Yasmina Couty clinched the bronze medal in the Under 63 kgs women’s event, with a 362.5 kgs equipped total.

Civetta carried home gold in the women’s Under 72 kgs class as she gained her first national title.

Making eight out of her nine lifts. After a moderate opening squat, Civetta squatted 187.5kg.

Her three bench presses brought her from an opener of 90kg, to her third lift of 110kg before she went on to match her deadlift personal best of 180kg for a total of 477.5 kgs.

That was only 10 kgs under her 84 kgs weight class total, breaking the squat, bench, deadlift, and total records for the South West Division.

Civetta is expected to represent Great Britain in the European Equipped Championships in May.

Helen Toms secured silver in the women’s Masters 2 Under 84 kgs category, overcoming her previous problems in the squat discipline to end with a 157.5 kgs personal best, 12.5 kgs better than her previous mark.

An opening 80 kgs bench press was improved to 87.5 kgs for a 2.5 kgs personal best and, despite a glute injury sustained in training, succeeded at 140 and 150 kgs.

Toms also recorded new South West Division records in her weight and age class and is also hoping for a European Championships place.

Shotton-Gale, who takes part in the European Classic Championships later this month, took her British tally to seven equipped and two classic titles with her triumph in the women’s Under 84 kgs section.

Matt Watson, who was competing in his first British Equipped Championships, claimed silver in the Under 93 kgs men’s section, achieving seven out of nine lifts and a new personal best total.

He started his squats on 245 kgs and reached 260 kgs before successfully lifting all three of his bench attempts for a personal best 182.5kg South West record.

On his second deadlift attempt, Watson hit 247.5 kgs, giving him a 690 kgs total.