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 (born April 26, 1994) is a famous English weightlifter. She made history in October 2010 by winning a bronze medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India. This made her the first English woman to win a weightlifting medal at these games.

Zoe has competed in three Olympic Games. She took part in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, and the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. She has also won several medals at the European Weightlifting Championships and the Commonwealth Games, including a gold medal in 2014.

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 challenges like injuries and losing funding, Zoe has continued to compete and now also coaches other weightlifters.

About Zoe Smith's Early Life

Zoe Smith was born on April 26, 1994. Her mother, Nikki Smith, worked as an administrator, and her father, Terry Smith, was a window cleaner. Zoe went to De Lucy Primary School and then Townley Grammar School for Girls.

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

Zoe Smith's Weightlifting Journey

Starting Her Career

Zoe won her first big competition, the South East County Championships. She was chosen for the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games, where she was the youngest English team member. She won a gold medal in her weight category. In 2008, she broke national records 98 times for junior and senior weightlifters! By the end of that year, she held almost all the junior and senior records for her weight class.

The British Olympic Association even named her their Athlete of the Year for Weightlifting. At just 14, Zoe was the second-best female weightlifter in the UK. Only two-time Commonwealth champion Michaela Breeze was ranked higher.

Smith (centre) at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games. She won first place, with Laxmi N and Akther Fayema taking silver and bronze.

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

When she was 15, Zoe placed sixth at the 2009 European Junior Championships. This showed everyone her amazing potential. In October 2010, she won a bronze medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India. This was her first big international competition as a senior athlete. It made her the first English woman to win a weightlifting medal at the Commonwealth Games.

She was even nominated for the 2010 BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year award. However, in December 2010, British Weight Lifting stopped her funding for a short time. They thought she wasn't committed enough to her training. But her funding was given back in February 2011 after she showed positive changes.

Olympic Dreams and Medals

In May 2012, Zoe was chosen to represent Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. She competed in the Women's 58 kg division. 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.

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

She won another bronze medal at the 2016 European Weightlifting Championships. By August 2016, Zoe held four British records for the "clean and jerk" lift. Unfortunately, she missed out on the 2016 Olympics because of a shoulder injury.

Overcoming Challenges and More Success

Around 2018, Zoe moved and started studying for her A-levels in biology, psychology, and environmental science. At this time, she faced many challenges. Her shoulder injury, the end of government funding for weightlifting in the UK, and losing her sponsors meant she had to move back home. She even took a job as a barista (someone who makes coffee). Zoe said this was a very tough time for her.

Despite these difficulties, Zoe won a silver medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. She competed with a back injury and even needed special treatment to help with the pain. She had a very close competition for second place but managed to win the silver medal.

Since UK Sport had stopped funding weightlifting in 2016, Zoe started a crowdfunding campaign in July 2018. She asked for £10,000 to help her train 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. Then, in July, she placed eighth at the 2020 Summer Olympics, which was two places higher than her 2012 Olympic result.

At the 2023 European Weightlifting Championships, she won a gold medal in the "clean and jerk" and a bronze medal overall in her category. She tried to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics at the 2024 IWF World Cup, but it wasn't enough to secure her spot.

Coaching and Training Habits

Zoe was coached by Andy Callard, who nicknamed her "Pablo" after a famous Olympic gold medalist. Andy also coached Zoe's sister, Yana Smith, in weightlifting. Zoe has shared some fun facts about her habits. She likes to eat pizza before competitions to feel good. She also wears make-up during events. After competing, her first thought is usually to order more pizza! Zoe, along with Giles Greenwood and Fraer Morrow, started the East London Weightlifting Club, where Zoe now coaches.

Zoe Smith in the Media

Zoe has appeared on the BBC One quiz show Question of Sport several times. She was also featured in TV shows like British Olympic Dreams and Girl Power: Going for Gold. She has spoken on BBC radio and television about dealing with comments on her athletic body.

In 2015, Zoe was on the Channel 4 show Time Crashers. In this show, celebrities experienced life in different historical periods. In one episode, set in the Elizabethan era, Zoe got upset when she saw a boar's skull being prepared.

Major Competition Results

Here are some of Zoe Smith's main results from her weightlifting competitions:

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
IWF World Cup
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

Here are some of Zoe Smith's results from her junior and youth competitions:

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