Zoe Smith facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Zoe Smith

Zoe Smith at the London Youth Games in 2011
Personal information
Born	(1994-04-26) 26 April 1994 (age 31) Greenwich, London, England
Height	1.59 m (5 ft 2+1⁄2 in)
Weight	58.06 kg (128.0 lb) (in March 2024)
Sport
Country	United Kingdom
Sport	Weightlifting
Event(s)	–58kg, −59kg, −63kg, −64kg
Club	East London Weightlifting
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	225kg
Medal record Women's weightlifting Representing  Great Britain European Championship Bronze 2014 Tel Aviv −58 kg Bronze 2019 Batumi –64 kg Bronze 2023 Yerevan –64 kg Representing  England Commonwealth Games Gold 2014 Glasgow 58 kg Silver 2018 Gold Coast 63 kg Bronze 2010 Delhi 58 kg
Updated on 8 August 2024.

Zoe Smith was born on April 26, 1994. She is a talented weightlifter from England. In October 2010, she made history at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India. She won a bronze medal in the women's 58 kg category. This made her the first English woman to ever win a weightlifting medal at the Commonwealth Games.

Zoe also competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, finishing 12th. She later participated in the 2020 Summer Olympics, placing eighth in the 59 kg category. In 2023, she won a gold medal in the clean and jerk and a bronze medal overall at the 2023 European Weightlifting Championships.

Zoe started weightlifting when she was 12 years old. She was training as a gymnast when someone suggested she try lifting weights. She later represented her local area at the London Youth Games. After facing some challenges, including injuries and funding issues, Zoe continued to train and compete. She now coaches at a gym in East London, helping other athletes.

Zoe's Early Life and Start in Weightlifting

Zoe Smith was born in Greenwich, London. Her mother, Nikki, worked as an administrator, and her father, Terry, was a window cleaner. Zoe went to De Lucy Primary School and Townley Grammar School for Girls.

How Zoe Discovered Weightlifting

In 2005, when Zoe was 12, she was training at a gym as a gymnast. A coach named Andrew Callard was there. He was looking for girls to join his weightlifting team for the London Youth Games. Zoe and some other gymnasts tried doing squats. Coach Callard immediately saw that Zoe had a natural talent for weightlifting. She quickly took up the sport and represented her borough, Greenwich, at the London Youth Games.

Zoe's Weightlifting Journey

Zoe's career in weightlifting began with great success. She quickly became a rising star in the sport.

Starting Her Career and First Wins

Zoe won her first big competition, the South East County Championships. She was then chosen for the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games. At just 14 years old, she was the youngest English team member. She won a gold medal in the 53 kg category.

In 2008, Zoe broke national records 98 times! She held almost all junior and senior records for her weight class. The British Olympic Association even named her their Athlete of the Year for Weightlifting. At 14, she was the second-best female weightlifter in the UK.

Smith (centre) at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games, where she finished first, ahead of Laxmi N and Akther Fayema

Smith (right) at the medal presentation ceremony at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, where she won the bronze medal. Ranu Bala Chanu Yumnam won the gold medal, and Seen Lee took the silver.

At 15, Zoe placed sixth at the 2009 European Junior Championships. This showed her amazing potential. In October 2010, she won a bronze medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India. This was her first major international competition as a senior athlete. She was even nominated for the 2010 BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year award.

For a short time, Zoe's funding was stopped because some thought she wasn't committed enough. But her funding was given back a few months later after she showed positive changes.

Competing in the Olympics and Beyond

In May 2012, Zoe was selected to represent Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. She competed in the Women's 58 kg category. She set a new British record with a clean and jerk lift of 121 kg. With a snatch of 90 kg, she finished 12th overall.

After winning a bronze medal at the 2014 European Weightlifting Championships in April 2014, Zoe won a gold medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July. She lifted a total of 210 kg. After these games, Zoe decided to compete in a slightly heavier weight class, 63–64 kg. She finished ninth at the 2015 World Weightlifting Championships in this new category.

She earned another bronze medal at the 2016 European Weightlifting Championships. By August 2016, Zoe held four British clean and jerk records. She missed the 2016 Olympics because of a shoulder injury.

Challenges and Comebacks Since 2018

Around 2018, Zoe moved to the Midlands. She started studying biology, psychology, and environmental science at Loughborough College. At this time, she faced many challenges. Her shoulder injury, the end of funding for weightlifting in the UK, and losing her sponsors made things tough. Zoe moved back in with her parents and took a job as a barista. She described this period as a "dark place" for her mental health.

Despite these difficulties, Zoe competed at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. She won a silver medal in the women's 63 kg category. She even competed with a back injury, needing special treatment to manage the pain. Her strong performance showed her amazing determination.

Because UK Sport had cut funding for weightlifting, Zoe started a crowdfunding campaign in July 2018. She aimed to raise £10,000 to help her qualify for the 2020 Olympics. She reached her goal and was selected for the team. In April 2021, she finished sixth at the 2021 European Weightlifting Championships. In July 2021, she placed eighth at the Olympics, two spots higher than her 2012 performance.

At the 2023 European Weightlifting Championships, Zoe won gold in the clean and jerk and bronze overall in the 64 kg category. She later retired from the 59 kg competition at the 2024 European Championships. Her last chance to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics was at the 2024 IWF World Cup. She lifted 85 kg in the snatch and 113 kg in the clean and jerk, but it wasn't enough to secure a spot.

Coaching and Personal Life

Zoe was coached by Andy Callard, who nicknamed her "Pablo" after a famous Olympic winner. Andy also coached Zoe's sister, Yana, in weightlifting. Zoe once wrote that she liked to eat pizza before competitions and wear makeup to feel good. After competing, she would immediately order more pizza! Zoe, along with Giles Greenwood and Fraer Morrow, started the East London Weightlifting Club, where Zoe now coaches.

Zoe in the Media

Zoe Smith has appeared on several TV and radio shows. She was a guest on the BBC One quiz show Question of Sport in 2012, 2014, and 2023. She was also featured in British Olympic Dreams and Girl Power: Going for Gold on BBC.

In 2012, she spoke on BBC radio and TV about dealing with comments about her body not looking like a typical athlete's. She has been a guest on various radio shows, including Ace and Vis, Phil Williams, The Danny Baker Show, and Jessica Fostekew: Sturdy Girl Club.

Zoe also took part in the Channel 4 show Time Crashers in 2015. In this show, celebrities experienced life in different historical periods. In one episode set in the Elizabethan era, Zoe got upset during a task involving a boar's skull.

Major Competition Results

Senior results for Zoe Smith

Year	Venue	Weight	Snatch (kg)				Clean and jerk (kg)				Total	Rank
			1	2	3	Rank	1	2	3	Rank
Representing  Great Britain
Olympic Games
2012	London, Great Britain	58 kg	90	93	93	13	116	121	121	9	211	10
2020	Tokyo, Japan	59 kg	87	87	91	8	113	116	119	6	200	8
World Championships
2015	Houston, United States	63 kg	94	97	100	11	120	124	128	9	221	9
2018	Ashgabat, Turkmenistan	64 kg	92	92	95	14	117	120	120	15	215	17
European Championships
2012	Antalya, Turkey	58 kg	85	89	92	4	110	116	120	4	208	4
2014	Tel Aviv, Israel	58 kg	86	86	90	5	114	118	118		204
2016	Førde, Norway	63 kg	93	96	98	4	116	119	119		215	4
2019	Batumi, Georgia	64 kg	92	96	98	6	122	126	128		224
2021	Moscow, Russia	59 kg	87	89	89	7	111	111	114	5	200	5
2023	Yerevan, Armenia	64 kg	90	93	95	5	119	121	122		214
2024	Sofia, Bulgaria	59 kg	84.0	–	–	–	-	-	–	–
British International Open
2019	Coventry, Great Britain	64 kg	91	94	100		120	125	130		225
2024	Phuket, Thailand	64 kg	85	85	88	32	109	113	116	23	198	24
Representing  England
Commonwealth Games
2010	Delhi, India	58 kg	80	80	85	4	103	106	108		188
2014	Glasgow, Scotland	53 kg	89	92	95		112	115	118		202
2018	Gold Coast, Australia	63 kg	87	90	92		110	112	115		207
British Senior Championships
2010	Kilmarnock	63 kg	76	81	86		102	109	115		188
2012	South Normanton	63 kg	87	91	94		113	117	120.0		211
2014	Coventry	63 kg	83	86	88		104	108	112		200
2015	Coventry	63 kg	90	93	96		114	118	123		214
2016	Coventry	63 kg	92	92	-	–	-	–	–	–
2017	Coventry	63 kg	84	87	90		113	117	117		204

Junior and Youth results for Zoe Smith

Year	Venue	Weight	Snatch (kg)				Clean and jerk (kg)				Total	Rank
			1	2	3	Rank	1	2	3	Rank
Representing  Great Britain
World Championships
2009 Youth	Chiangmai, Thailand	58 kg	70	74	75	8	89	92	94	9	169	8
2011 Youth	Lima, Peru	64 kg	86	91	93		105	110	115		201
European Championships
2007 Youth	Pavia, Italy	53 kg	54	58	60	9	67	70	72	12	132	10
2008 Youth	Amiens, France	53 kg	64	–	-	7	87	–	-		151	5
2009 Junior	Landskrona, Sweden	58 kg	70	74	76	4	89	89	93	5	169	5
2009 Youth	Eilat, Israel	58 kg	73	73	77	7	90	93	96	4	166	5
2010 Youth	Valencia, Spain	58 kg	74	80	84		101	105	110		194
Representing  England
Commonwealth Youth Games
2008	Pune, India	53 kg									159
British Championships
2009 Junior	UK
2009 Youth	UK

See also

In Spanish: Zoe Smith para niños