Daniel Shaw has earned a bronze medal for Fiji at the 2024 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships, which took place at the Vodafone Arena in Suva yesterday. Competing in the men’s 81kg A category, Shaw excelled in both the snatch and clean and jerk events, lifting 115kg and 146kg, respectively.
His achievement came after a challenging recovery from an injury that had disrupted his training. “All the hard work paid off, especially coming back from a really bad injury. I expected more, but this was my portion,” he remarked.
As part of his preparation for the competition, Shaw began lifting heavier weights earlier in the year, noting, “It was a bit hard because I just started lifting heavy around May-June.” He added, “I started to lift really heavy weights overhead, so I didn’t get enough time to prepare. That was it.”
Despite his success, Shaw felt he could have performed better during his three attempts in both events. “After the snatch, I was sitting at bronze, but in the clean and jerk, if I had completed my last attempt, it would have secured silver, but it was unsuccessful. I’m still grateful, though.”
Throughout the competition, he totaled 261 points across both categories. He also expressed his appreciation for Weightlifting Fiji, acknowledging their support and trust in him. “To be honest, I just want to thank the president of Weightlifting Fiji and the head coach for believing in me, helping me rebuild myself, and compete internationally. It’s just a blessing.”
The 19-year-old athlete is now focusing on the 2025 Pacific Mini Games in Palau, expressing confidence that he has ample time to prepare for that competition.