Gay Games Ambassador takes bronze at WDFPF championships

Chris Morgan, the current Gay Games Powerlifting champion, has won a bronze medal at this year’s World Drug Free Powerlifting Championships.

He was lifting in the competition held in Milton Keynes in England and made lifts of 230 kilos in Squat followed by 115 kilos in Bench Press and 230 Kilos in Dead lift, for a total of 575 kilos at 82.5 kilo bodyweight. This was Chris’s sixth world championship final and an addtion to his collection of medals that now consists of two Golds (2005 & 2009), two Silvers (2005 & 2008) and two bronzes (2006 & 2009).

Speaking about the competition, Chris said, "I’m delighted to have participated my sixth world championship and to have continued my successful run of medals. It was always going to be difficult to be motivated for this competition after the highs of becoming the World Dead lift Champion only two months ago. My intention was always to use this competition as part of my training programme for the defence of my World Championship in Moscow this coming spring."

"The trip to Russia next year has special significance in light of the repression towards gay people in that country and the fact that Powerlifting is their national sport. I’d like to take this opportunity to highlight the Gay Games Scholarship programme, which currently has the objective of ‘Outreach’ into eastern Europe. The primary goal of this programme is to enable as many eastern European artists and athletes as possible to participate in Gay Games Cologne 2010."

Chris has recently qualified as a WDFPF International Referee and was selected by England as an official for the recent World Championship ‘Single’ Event in Bradford and also last weekend’s World Championships in Milton Keynes. He has now completed the Divisional, National and International diplomas making him one of the youngest international referees within the World Drug Free Powerlifting Federation.

Chris’s forthcoming competitions are the South West Divisional Championships on 6th December in Newquay, England and South West Divisional Championship ‘Single’ Event on 24th January in Newton Abbott, England.

The FGG is very pleased to offer its congratulations to Chris and thank him for his ongoing efforts to promote Gay Games VIII, and in particular for his offer to bring the Gay Games message to Russia.