No medal but teenage record breaker Zoe Smith silences vicious Twitter trolls with an inspiring Olympic performance

  • 18-year-old lifted 121kg in the clean and jerk round
  • Said it was ‘two fingers up’ to the online bullies
  • Lost 7lbs in two weeks in order to qualify

By
Toni Jones

09:35 EST, 31 July 2012

|

10:20 EST, 31 July 2012

Fresh-faced Zoe Williams doesn’t look like your average weight lifter.

But the 18-year-old Londoner has smashed a British record by lifting TWICE her body weight during the 58kg Weightlifting event, and took the opportunity to slam the online bullies that have tried to sour her Olympic campaign.

Miss Smith has been the subject of vile internet abuse since appearing on a documentary earlier this year, with anonymous Twitter trolls telling her she looks like a ‘lesbian’ and a ‘bloke’.

Great Britain’s Zoe Smith lifts 121kg in the Women’s 58 kg division of Weightlifting

And yesterday as the Team GB star aced
the clean and jerk round of the weightlifting competition, beating her personal best and then breaking the British record, she took the opportunity
to answer back in style.

She said: ‘I gave it to them on the platform. It’s two fingers up to them, basically. What are you doing with your
life? I’ve just competed at the Olympics! Have some of that, trolls!’

Previously the outspoken athlete has hit back in powerful blog pieces saying that she and her
fellow weightlifters ‘don’t lift weights in order to look hot’ for men
and ‘couldn’t give a toss’ if it made them more attractive.

Zoe Smith out of Lycra and in red carpet mode

She wrote: ‘Most of the people that do
think like this seem to be chauvinistic, pig-headed blokes who feel
emasculated by the fact that we are stronger than them. Simple as that.’

She added that it was particularly ‘sad’ to see abuse from girls who labelled her ‘weird’ for her muscular physique.

‘You’d think that young women around the same age as us would commend us,’ she added.

‘But
apparently we’re “weird” for not constantly eating c**p, binge drinking
regularly and wearing the shortest, tightest dresses that the high
street has to offer.’

Miss Smith has always refused to bow down to the internet bullies, often retweeting messages and naming and shaming the culprits, and has received praise from anti-bullying organisations and fans for her behaviour.

Zoe had had to lose almost 7lbs on a restricted diet over two weeks to qualify for the 58kg weight group

‘I couldn’t believe 6000 people were cheering my name. I’m just Zoe Smith and I do a bit of weight lifting.’

As well as giving the cyber bullies
some food for thought the athlete – who had to lose almost 7lbs on a
restricted diet over two weeks to qualify for the 58kg (9st 2lb) weight
group – is looking forward to eating normally again following the competition.

She said: ‘I’m going to get a Big Mac and
nuggets and chips and a McFlurry and a muffin. I’m going to die. I’m
literally going to give myself a heart attack but it will be worth it.

Zoe poses in the Team GB kit at the Olympic village

‘I’ve had to give up food to make the
weight. Well, when I say food I mean nice food. I have been eating
chicken and grilled steak which is very nice, but it doesn’t compare to
chocolate.

‘That dieting lark does take a lot
out of you. Even this morning I was in the sauna for 20 minutes. But it
was all worth it in the end. And I don’t remember the last time I had a
proper night out but the next one will be very soon. I need it.

‘There’s only so much you can prepare yourself.’

Talking about the experience of competing as part of Team GB Miss Smith said: ‘To
compete in the Olympics is a big experience for anyone, but can you
imagine how overwhelmed I feel right now having this in my home town, my
first Olympics and I’m 18?’

‘I couldn’t believe that 6,000 people were cheering my name. I’m just Zoe Smith and I do a bit of weightlifting.

‘Obviously I had a little
disappointment in the snatch but I didn’t let that faze me and I came
out of it with a senior British record.

‘In Rio I want it to be an
Olympic record.’

Here’s what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts,
or debate this issue live on our message boards.

The comments below have been moderated in advance.

Good for her! What an amazing young lady who has really done something with her young years. Which is more than can be said for those bullying her.

Love this girl watched her compete at work, well done one feisty young lady

Zoe’s great on TV; very confident.and articuate. In fact she’s much better than half of those that are on there now. Get her some kind of position in the media please!

Hats off to her.lets hope these Olympics can act as a springboard to her for furthering her career.to break a British record at eighteen is a wonderful achievement.Lets hope she gets the funding to progress.

Good girl!

What a down to earth young woman. More power to you! You’re inspirational!

You are an inspiration! You go girl!

Stunning absoloutly stunning

Those trolls ought to visit Specsavers – she’s absolutely gorgeous, as well as being intelligent, hard working, ambitious, talented, dedicated …. I’m making a fool of myself here ain’t I? She can lift me anytime she likes, and by the way I don’t think any man worth the name would feel in the slightest bit intimidated or emasculated by her. She’s a real catch.

saddos. bet they wouldnt say it to her face though. shed pick em up and snap em in half, ugly, spotty, b.o. nerds, losers n loners! Good on ya girl!

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