Clones weightlifter qualifies for World Championships

By Róisín McManus

Clones woman Molly Coffey O’Connor is set to travel to China this winter to compete at the pinnacle of the sport having qualified for the Senior World Weightlifting Championships.

The 21 year old qualified in the 61kg category by lifting a total of 179kg in the two competitive weightlifting lifts - 80kg in the snatch and 99kg in the clean and jerk, at the Leinster Open Championships, which took place in Athy last weekend.

Although she competed in the 69kg category, Molly qualified in 61kg as she fell into the catch weight, where competitors are allowed to weigh slightly above the target weight.

Molly will be competing amongst 80 other athletes in the 61kg female category at the compete at the International Weightlifting Federation World Championships in Ningbo, China on Sunday, November 1.

This is Molly’s first time qualifying for any senior international competition. As she is still U23 for the next three years, there was “no real expectation to even think about qualifying” for a senior world championship.

“It means a huge amount to me because I’m still so young,” Molly tells the Celt.

“I’ve got a long career so I was very happy.”

Molly’s next few months will be “quite intense” with “a lot of travel and training,” as she is also competing at the 2026 EWF (European Weightlifting Federation) European Junior & U23 Championships in Albania on Wednesday, October 14.

Previously, Molly would have felt “quite nervous” about being able to “keep up a good performance” for that long but she is hopeful that her experience in competing this summer will stand to her.

“I’m hoping that I keep having good performances on the platform,” Molly says.

Next week, Molly will take part in a three-day training camp in Sport Ireland, which will be the first fully paid for camp for Irish weightlifters.

A fundraiser for Molly is being held in the Peacelink in Clones ahead of her competitions on Saturday, September 12 from 11am until 2pm.