NIGEL Orme has become a newly-crowned WPC World Powerlifting champion.

The Weymouth powerhouse saw off an illustrious field in Portugal to take the global deadlift crown competing in the Masters Three 75kg group.

Orme was on top form to complete a mammoth lift of 162.5kg to sit top of the tree and ensure gold was being brought back to Dorset.

That was not the end of his success however, as he also managed to lift 100kg to scoop silver in his category in the bench press.

Orme, who has been amazed by his rapid rise having only started competing in the sport 12 months ago, told Echosport: “I am well chuffed, to get medals in the two events was brilliant and to get a gold was amazing.

“My biggest thought in my head was ‘don’t embarrass yourself ’.

"Too many people go to these competitions and just bomb out, on the day they just can’t lift what they expect to open with.

“My biggest fear was not completing my first lift.”

Reflecting on his surge to world glory, he added: “I did my first competition purely to keep people quiet because they were saying to me for years that I had to do one.

“In 12 months it has just snowballed. To finish my first year as a world champion I just cannot believe it."