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A third win for Maude Charron, a first victory as a senior for her Canada team-mate Charlotte Simoneau, a silver for England’s Sarah Davies Smale from only two good lifts, yet another champion for Malaysia, a haka on the platform led by a New Zealand medallist with Scottish roots, and a huge celebration for the home nation when firefighter Angus Doig made the podium against all odds.

It was quite a day in Glasgow as the Commonwealth Games weightlifting programme went past the halfway point.

Maude Charron (CAN)

Although Charron has won gold and silver at the Olympic Games and was described by Davies- Smale as “one of the great weightlifters of our generation”, the most popular medallist on day three was Doig, a firefighter who trains alone in his garage in the Peak District of England.

He had already left the arena more than half an hour before the end of the session and completed his interviews for the Scottish media when he slowly realised he might have to do it all again.

Angus Doig (SCO)

Doig was 27kg behind the leader at halfway in the 88kg category and after making all three clean and jerks he finished on 135-174-309, at least 25kg short of the expected target for any medallist.

“My goal had always been just to get to the Commonwealth Games, do my best and try for the top five,” he said. “The podium was never on the cards.”

But three failures by athletes from Australia and Mauritius changed the picture. Braydon Kennedy from Canada and Will Swart from South Africa, both medal contenders, had not started yet. If they both bombed out, Doig would finish third.

Kennedy failed three times on 182kg. Swart missed at 181kg then 182kg. Doig was now back in the warm-up area and could not bear to watch Swart’s final attempt for 183kg on the big screen.

“When I heard the barbell hit the platform I knew he’d missed it. It’s absolutely unbelievable – and here I am back doing more interviews.”

Doig, 27, switched from CrossFit to weightlifting only two and a half years ago. All that solo training in his garage paid off and he won at the British Championships this year.

His family was in the SEC Armadillo arena and his Scottish father David was asked to say a few words to the crowd. “We knew he could lift really well but to win a medal – I’m in heaven,” he said. “We’ll have a big party tonight and everyone’s invited!”

Men’s 88kg podium

Cameron McTaggart, who is from New Zealand despite his very Scottish name, was second on 154-184-338. He led a Pou Tangata haka (created for his country’s Olympic and Commonwealth Games teams) on the platform after the medal ceremony, which was widely applauded.

“I have Scottish heritage from my dad a few generations back – and they were from Glasgow – but I’ve never been here before,” he said. “This medal was ten years of hard work in the making, and it’s great that my family were here to watch.”

Hafizuddin Roslin (MAS)

Hafizuddin Roslin from Malaysia, who had finished second to Kennedy at the Commonwealth Championships last year, won on 162-183-345. Hafizuddin, 22, was the fourth winner for Malaysia in three days, taking his team to the top of the medals table.

The four gold medallists from Malaysia… so far

“Usually we just have one or two winners,” said the Malaysian Weightlifting Federation president Ayub Rahmat. “This is already Malaysia’s best achievement in weightlifting at the Commonwealth Games, and we could win again tomorrow (Syahmi Nor Ghazali at 94kg). Within the federation, we set ourselves a target of five golds and we have a good chance of getting them.

“This success shows that weightlifting can become one of Malaysia’s leading medal-contributing sports at major multi-sport events.”

There was an equally exciting end to the women’s 63kg session. Charron missed her second clean and jerk, then made it to finish on 102-130-232. That left her 15kg ahead of Davies Smale.

The bar was loaded at 138kg, a jump of 16kg. “I did 134 once when I was a 71, but I’ve never got near to 138,” said Davies Smale. “But of course I was going to have a go.”

Women’s 63kg podium

She even got under the bar before crumpling. “That sort of thing, it’s her signature move,” said Charron. “I’ve been competing with Sarah for years and I was rooting for her. I was shocked she got under it. She was courageous, for sure.”

Davies Smale made 95-122-217 from two good lifts. “Probably my best two from six ever,” she said. Femily Notte from Nauru, who at 17 is barely half the age of Charron and Davies Smale, was third on 100-116-216.

“She’s the next generation,” said Davies Smale. “Performances like that might force me into retirement!”

She and her husband Ed Smale were unable to take a honeymoon during her preparations for Glasgow so they are off to Madagascar for three weeks now. “Then we’ll see what happens,” said Davies Smale, who will be 34 next month.

Charron, 33, who will definitely be going to China for the IWF World Championships in October, is enjoying life. She combines her lifting with coaching and working for the Canadian Olympic Committee, heading a project to bring a million youngsters into sport.

Charron’s team-mate Simoneau was twice a junior world champion. After a couple of disappointments at the senior World Championships – an injury withdrawal and a sixth-place finish – in the past two years, 21-year-old Simoneau had her best senior result.

Charlotte Simoneau (CAN)

Simoneau won impressively at 69kg on 108-132-240, setting a Commonwealth clean and jerk record. She would have bettered her own record on total too but for missing her final attempt on 135kg.

Olivia Selemaia from New Zealand, second in the World Juniors last year, was expected to be Simoneau’s nearest challenger but she bombed out in snatch for the second time in successive international competitions.

Women’s 69kg podium

Harjinder Kaur from India was second on 101-126-227 and Nya Hayman from Australia third on 97-121-218. The Scottish teenager Maddie Rosher was cheered all the way as she finished fifth with a total of 214kg.

“In my first senior competition I felt more stressed, I was at a different weight and I was uncertain about the transition from juniors,” said Simoneau. “I have had plenty of time to be ready for this, working on technique, getting stronger, adjusting to being a 69, and I felt ready.

“In China at the start of the Olympic cycle I will be even more ready.”

By Brian Oliver

Photos by Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia