Bearsden powerlifter Mark Macqueen wins first British senior title

Mark Macqueen on his way to his first British powerlifting title

The 23-year-old was vctorious at the British Championships in Portsmouth, his first senior competition since stepping up from the junior ranks at the end of last season.

And he took the title in style, setting new Scottish marks for squat lifting and for an overall total.

He told the Herald: “It was brilliant, it was a really good day and I was really, really pleased.

“This is my first year in seniors and that was my first British seniors so it was really good to do that at 23 years old.

“To my knowledge I was the youngest person in my category and it was really good to start with a bang.

“I squatted 365 kilos which made me the first Scottish person to squat over 800 pounds raw [unassisted], I bench-pressed 207.5 kilos and dead lifted 347.5 kilos.

“I also totalled 920 kilos which was also the biggest ever total by a Scot raw.”

Last year Mark won a complete sweep of World, European and Commonwealth titles, but had to sit out this year’s Worlds because he turned senior after the selection process had been completed.

However he’s now heading back into international competition and is targeting success at his first European Senior Championships in Lithuania in December.

He said: “Sitting out of the World Championships in June and sitting out being part of Team GB for this year, I just locked myself away in a gym for a full year plotting and I was really pleased everything came together the way I thought it would. The sacrifices were definitely worth it.

“My goals that I’d written down for what I wanted to do in the competition, I hit every single one of them.”

“I got invited to the GB squad sessions but I turned it down because I moved up a weight class and wanted a good year to give myself an opportunity to fill out for the weight class above.

“The total I hit at the British Championships would have given me the bronze medal overall at the senior World Championships this year, so I definitely think I’m in a position for the Euros to hopefully do really well.”