Weightlifting: Alethea Boon continues remarkable journey

Alethea Boon makes a successful lift in the snatch discipline during the Women's Weightlifting 58kg. Photo / Getty

For some athletes, it is not just about medals.

Twenty years on from her Games debut as a teenage gymnast in Kuala Lumpur, Alethea Boon proved she belongs among the Commonwealth's elite 58kg weightlifters.

Witnessing Boon's sculpted body hoist almost twice her body weight, notching three New Zealand records in the process, you would never guess this was once a petite gymnast.

Weightlifting gives no style points; no applause for delicate twists or pointing toes on the beam.

Rather, it rewards technical, precise power.

Boon's broad smile and elation as she skipped off stage following each successful lift revealed her joy at pushing counterparts who dedicated much of their lives to this arena. Here she was pushing them plate for plate.

After her impressive 81kg snatch, tears flowed as Boon muscled 100kg in the clean and jerk for the first time, pushing her into fifth place with an 181kg total.

Right then, her transition was complete.

From making her Games debut in Malaysia as a 14-year-old, the then youngest Kiwi competitor, to the premier women's 58kg lifters, it sure is a remarkable journey.

"The 100kg has always eluded me so this was the competition I knew it was time to piece it together and complete the total. I think it's a New Zealand record so I'm stoked," she said. "At the age of 34 I'm pretty happy."

Few athletes compete on the world stage in two sports, let along two such contrasting.

Two Commonwealth Games, including Manchester in 2002, as a gymnast, one now in weightlifting, is some achievement.

"Each experience is very different. Not many people get to experience it as a 14-year-old but I have to admit as an adult, bloody awesome.

"Gymnastics and weightlifting are actually pretty similar in terms of accuracy, power and strength they're both just expressed in different ways it's all about clean lines. As a gymnast, you don't get the chance to soak in the atmosphere where weightlifting that fuels you so take it in use it as power through the legs and get those lifts off the ground."

Boon couldn't crack a medal here at the Carrara Sports & Leisure Centre on the Gold Coast but, in contention throughout, her performance in context is one to savour.

Consider she retired from gymnastics at 24, and only started weightlifting five years ago.

Competing at the CrossFit Games no doubt helped build confidence and strength. Tonight, she was a beast.

Any wonder the crowd spurred her on with support second only to the Australians in the field of 15.

Local favourite Tia-Clair Toomey claimed gold with 201kg; Canada's Tali Darsigny silver (200kg) and the Solomon Islands won their first ever Commonwealth Games medal thanks to Jenly Wini's bronze (189kg).

But Boon's outpouring of emotion said everything about what fifth meant to her.

"It's definitely not the last you've seen of me."