WEIGHTLIFTING wonder Ryan Baugh 'lifted out of his skin' to win a bronze medal and secure a new set of personal bests at the British Under-18 Weightlifting Championships in Birmingham.

Ivybridge Community College starlet Baugh's achievement was all the more impressive given that he was the youngest competitor at the event at the tender age of 14.

He broke his snatch and clean and jerk totals to power to a superb podium place in the 62kgs bodyweight category at Oldbury College.

Delighted coach Michaela Breeze, a former Commonwealth Games weightlifting champion and PE teacher at ICC, said: 'Ryan lifted out of his skin to lift well in excess of his previous bests.'

Pocket dynamo Baugh improved his previous snatch best of 66kgs by six kgs after completing his three lifts with successful attempts at 68kgs, 70kgs and 72kgs.

He then set a new clean-and-jerk best of 95kgs – six kilograms better than his previous mark. This gave him a combined competition total of 167kgs.

Baugh's brilliance is the continuation of a true annus mirabilis for him after his stunning fourth place at the British Senior Weightlifting Championships in the summer.

He secured a new British U14 record in the process and also won an international gold medal at the FULDA Cup in Austria. The teenage sensation is now eyeing British U15 records and a call-up to the England squad for a tri-nations event with Sweden and Norway in February.

He is also hopeful of appearing at next year's European Youth Championships and, in the longer term, Breeze hopes to help him qualify for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Scotland.