Nicholson & McDonald’s National Records Highlight Team USA in Britain

TELFORD, England—Records fell in Telford, England, over the weekend during the British Weight Lifting (BWL) Championships where nine weightlifters from the United States competed as guest lifters. Ella Nicholson (86kg) and Ryan McDonald (88kg) set new American records in their performances, Nicholson lifting 115 kg in the snatch and 141 kg in the clean & jerk for a 256 kg total and a sweep of the junior and senior 86 kg records, and McDonald lifting 152/190/342 to sweep the junior 88 kg records. Though U.S. weightlifters weren’t eligible for medals and official placements, three lifters (Nicholson, McDonald, and Bryson Brown (65kg) had the highest totals in their respective bodyweight categories. Team USA were invited to lift in the BWL Championships following USA Weightlifting's decision to withdraw from the 2026 Junior World Championships in Ismailia, Egypt.

Full BWL Results

Nicholson’s 256 kg total gave her a 34 kg lead over the competition in the total, while McDonald’s 342 kg and Brown’s 259 kg put each lifter 31 kg ahead of their respective competition. Brown lifted 121 kg in the snatch and 138 kg in the C&J, his top snatch being just three kilos under the junior American record. Jade Morales (53kg) also flirted with American records when she lifted 99 kg in the C&J which is just five kilos under the junior 53 kg record.