Shachar Head admits she surprised herself after winning the British Universities Powerlifting Championships.

Competing in the 84kg category, Head’s preparations had been hampered by injury and illness, but fortune was on her side in the event at Cambridge University.

Head, 19, looked comfortable with an opening lift of 140kg in the Squat competition. She went on to clear 150kg and 160kg, becoming the Great Britain Powerlifting Federation record-holder in the process.

After failing with a first attempt of 75kg in the Bench press, which she describes as her weakest event, Head regained her focus and went on to clear 80kg with her final effort — 7.5 kg behind the leader in her category.

Head, who was assisted by Commonwealth Games medallist Ali Jawad, started modestly in the third discipline — the Deadlift. She produced a clean lift of 160kg and narrowly failed the final lift of 165kg.

Her combined total of 400kg was a new record, although Head had more or less settled for second place. But there was a dramatic late twist as her main rival had elected to open with an ambitious 210kg deadlift but failed all three attempts handing the victory to Head.

She said: “If you had said to me last week that I would achieve a 400kg total I would have taken that, but to be handed the victory in my weight category was the icing on the cake.

“Now I can work with the strength and conditioning team to get myself right for the regional qualifiers in April.”