REBEKAH Tiler has celebrated her 18th birthday a week late by winning the English Championships.

The Denholme weightlifter easily won the women's 75kg class at the Stantonbury Theatre in Milton Keynes.

The Mytholmroyd member lifted 95kg in the snatch and 115kg in the clean and jerk for a combined total of 210kg, which was 35kg better than runner-up Ray en Cupid (Crystal Palace).

Third was Emma Collins-Jones (Oaklands) with 173kg.

Prior to her first competitive lifts of the year, the Rio Olympian, who was the youngest by four years in her category at Milton Keynes, said: "I feel strong. My focus is on the European Seniors in April in Croatia.

"I'm looking forward to getting there and equalling or beating what I did last year – not just the weights but the medals too, and convince UK Sport we are worth it."

Tiler, who has been nominated for the Young Female Sportsperson of the Year on the Bradford Sports Awards shortlist, was left shocked before last Christmas following news that her sport had lost its national funding for the four-year cycle to the next Olympics in Tokyo.

Apart from trying to help British Weightlifting's case to regain financial support, with the fight continuing in Croatia, Milton Keynes was also part of Team England's qualification bid for the 2018 Commonwealth Games on Australia's Gold Coast.