Tamas Feher is confident the five lifters selected for the Games will do themselves and Great Britain proud.
British weightlifting head coach believes his team will shine this summer
Tamas Feher, Team GB weightlifting head coach, is confident that the five lifters selected for the Olympic Games will do themselves and Great Britain proud this summer.
Natasha Perdue, Zoe Smith, Gareth Evans, Jack Oliver and Peter Kirkbride were announced on Monday as the quintet who will represent Team GB at ExCeL in London between Saturday July 28 and Tuesday August 7.
Each of the athletes are competing at the Olympics for the first time yet Feher believes they will shine when the time comes.
Unforgettable
The Hungarian said: "I have great pride in being the Team GB weightlifting head coach and preparing and coaching such great athletes like ours.
"We have a great team in which all athletes support each other and I am sure they will give unforgettable moments to all Team GB fans and will push British weightlifting even further forwards.
"I am convinced we will participate at London with our strongest and best prepared team.
"Our five young strong-bodied and strong-minded athletes will show to millions around the world and in their own country exactly what it means to be a British weightlifter."
Greenwich-born Smith, who is aged just 18, arguably represents Britain's best chance of a first Olympic weightlifting medal since the 1984 Los Angeles Games, when she competes in the women's 58kg weight category.
However, veteran lifter Perdue (69kg), Holyhead's Evans (69kg) Commonwealth Games silver medallist Kirkbride (94kg), and 21-year-old Oliver (77kg) are not simply going to make up the numbers.
Balance
The five-strong team for 2012 represents the largest contingent of weightlifters Team GB has taken to an Olympic Games since the 1992 Barcelona Games.
Andy Hunt, Team GB Chef de Mission, believes the squad has a good balance of youth and experience.
He said: "All five athletes will be competing at their first Olympic Games and we will work closely with them to help prepare for the unique nature of the Olympic environment.
"The home support and encouragement they will receive from the Team GB fans in London will no doubt give them a lift and hopefully spur them on to perform to the very best of their ability on the Olympic stage."
