BASINGSTOKE powerlifters Andy Bonner and Michelle Trench won medals at the Great Britain Powerlifting Federation All England Championships in Northampton.

Bonner picked up two gold medals, winning the Masters Three 93kg class and the Open title, breaking four British records along the way.

Trench was competing at just her second event, but she also impressed, winning a silver medal in the under-52kg category.

Bonner started the competition in excellent form, squatting 250kg to set a new British record.

Another national record fell in the bench press. Not only did Bonner break the existing record by lifting 137.5kg, he went on to smash it, pressing 142.5kg.

The Basingstoke Powerlifting Club man made it a clean sweep of British records in the final event, the deadlift, picking up first 250kg, then 267.5kg and finally 278kg.

With each successful lift, he also recorded a new British record for the combined total, with his final mark an amazing 668.5kg.

Rooksdown’s Trench, who is trained by Ross Holmes at the Real Performance Gym, lifted a total of 197.5kg thanks to a squat of 50kg, a bench press of 32.5kg and deadlift of 115kg to claim a silver medal.

The 29-year-old said: “I was at the bottom of another weight category and I really did not know what to expect so it was really great to win a silver medal.”

Trench’s performance was enough to qualify her for the National Classic Powerlifting Championships in Bournemouth on September 19, where she will be looking to break the 200kg mark.

Trench added: “I was really eager to get back in the in the gym after the competition and want to get over 200kg. I think I can do it in my next competition, but I am not going to put pressure on myself.”

Basingstoke Powerlifting Club’s Jean Maton suffered disappointment at the European Masters Powerlifting Championships, held in the Czech Republic.

Lifting in the Masters Two category for lifters over 50 and in the 84 kg class, she was unable to retain her title after her squat efforts were ruled insufficiently deep to count.

Despite this, she bench-pressed 107.5kg and achieved 180kg in the deadlift.

Maton’s will compete at the World Championships in Denver at the end of next month, where she will hope to retain her title.