NIGEL Orme sealed success on the big stage as, despite illness and a change in weight category, he claimed silver at the WPC European Championships.

The Weymouth powerlifter weighed in just 100 grams over the limit for the Masters Four 75 kilogram category, meaning he was forced to step up to the 82.5kg section.

But that did not stop the 55-year-old grabbing a medal spot and he was delighted with his result in the competition, held in Stoke-on-trent.

Explaining his decision to stay in the heavier weight category, Orme told Echosport: “They said to me ‘you have got an hour, do you want to go away and do some cardio or whatever?’ and I just said I had nothing left in me so I had to move up.

“Any other day I would have just jumped on a spin bike and worked to lose it because 100g is nothing but, because I’d been feeling ill, I had the shakes and had nothing left in me.

“Seven-and-a-half kilos is a big difference. I was stood next to the guys I was lifting against and they looked huge.”

But, with 24 hours to recover and get focused, the powerhouse was delighted with his overall result, deadlifting a new personal best of 165kg to secure second place.

“I only did the deadlift on the day because I can’t get a tear in my shoulder to heal up,” he added.

“My warm-ups went so well so I started off on 150kg, which was what I planned. I then jumped up to 160kg and still felt good.

“Amazingly, I actually lifted 165kg quite easily and I probably could have got more on the day but you only get the three lift opportunities.

“It was tiring, my lower back is really sore now because I lifted a lot heavier than what I was expecting!”

With another medal in the bank, Orme will now turn his attentions to the British Championships in September, where he is expected to drop down to the 75kg category to defend his title.

“I am going to go back in the gym tomorrow to start light and just keep myself going,” he added.

“I have started doing very light bench press and it’s going well at the moment. In the next three or four weeks I am going to start to step it up.

“It if feels okay then I will be going back in the bench press for the British as well.

“Having done well at the Europeans, if I can go back and win the British again then I am guaranteed all my competitions for next year. If the Worlds are in England then that would be a definite.”