Emily Campbell has made history at the Tokyo Games after earning a silver medal in the women's 87kg+ weightlifting event.

She is the first British woman to win a medal in weightlifting on the Olympic stage. She is also the first Team GB lifter to finish on the podium since 1984.

Campbell notched a score of 283kg in the clean and jerk – chalking up a new British record.

Who is Emily Campbell?

The Tokyo Games are Campbell's first ever Olympics – marking a massive milestone in her weightlifting career. The 27-year-old hails from Nottingham and has competed in the European Championships and Commonwealth Games.

Her first medal came in 2018 when she earned bronze at the Commonwealth Games in the 90kg+ event. 

Campbell was named European champion earlier this year in Moscow after lifting a combined 276kg to win gold. She bettered her 2019 bronze medal performance, setting her up for a historic performance in Tokyo for the postponed 2020 Olympics.

How did Emily Campbell make history at the Tokyo Olympics?

On her Olympic debut, Campbell wrote her name in her country's history.

After Zoe Smith (59kg) and Sarah Davies (64kg) both fell short of the mark in their respective weight classes, it was down to Campbell to push for a medal.

The Team GB icon finished second behind Li Wenwen of China PR, who set a new Olympic record with her 320kg lift. 

Campbell claimed silver ahead of USA's Sarah Robles, who competed at the Rio 2016 Olympics and won bronze. She was also crowned the 2017 world champion on home soil in Anaheim.

What does this mean for Emily Cambell?

At 27, there's still a lot of years left in Campbell. The likes of 43-year-old Laurel Hubbard are still competing at the highest level, meaning Team GB's history-maker could be looking at competing in another three or four Olympic Games if she so desires.

The World Weightlifting Championships are scheduled for November and Campbell could be part of the British roster as she looks to claim silverware at another major tournament.