Powerlifting is a strength sport that consists of three attempts at maximal weight on three lifts: squat, bench press, and deadlift. As in the sport of Olympic weightlifting, it involves the athlete attempting a maximal weight single-lift effort of a barbell loaded with weight plates. Powerlifting evolved from a sport known as "odd lifts", which followed the same three-attempt format but used a wider variety of events, akin to strongman competition. Eventually odd lifts became standardized to the current three.
Scot Mendelson is an American armwrestler and powerlifter, who specializes in the bench press. He has broken multiple world records and was the raw (unassisted) world record holder in the 308-pound weight class with a 701 lb (318 kg) bench press from 2002 to 2020 and the equipped world record holder in the 275-pound class with a 1,031 lb (468 kg) bench press from 2009 to 2021. He also held the all-time world record in the raw bench press, regardless of weight class with 715 lb (324 kg) for 8 years. Working as a self-employed personal trainer, he runs his own gym called F.I.T.
Riku Kiri is a Finnish former strongman and powerlifter, best known for competing in the World's Strongest Man competition, narrowly missing out on capturing the title on more than one occasion. He has been referred to as: "the strongest man never to win World's Strongest Man."
Žydrūnas Savickas is a Lithuanian powerlifter and professional strongman. Due to his multiple championship wins in all major international strongman competitions, as well as his longevity in the sport, he is widely considered by many to be the greatest strength athlete of all time.
William Kazmaier is an American former world champion powerlifter, world champion strongman and professional wrestler. During the 1970s and 1980s, he set numerous powerlifting and strongman world records, and won two International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Championships and three World's Strongest Man titles. In the 1980s, Kazmaier became famous for his claim to be "the strongest man who ever lived" by equaling and surpassing spectacular and versatile feats of strength of famous strongmen of the 20th century. He is widely considered to be one of the all-time greatest competitors in strength competitions.
Jamie Reeves is a British former coal miner, strongman and professional wrestler. As a strongman, he won the 1989 World's Strongest Man, was World Muscle Power champion, and also had numerous other titles including Europe's Strongest Man and Britain's Strongest Man. Following retirement from competitive sport he continued to be involved in strength athletics as a referee, event promoter and coach.
Donald C. Reinhoudt is an American former powerlifter and strongman. He won the IPF World Powerlifting Superheavyweight Championship four consecutive times (1973–1976), and won the World's Strongest Man in 1979.
The World Powerlifting Congress (WPC) is a powerlifting federation hosting meets around the world. The federation hosts competitions which allow multi-ply equipment, but hosted a Raw world championship for the first time in 2009.
Edward "Ed" Ignatius Coan is an American powerlifter. He is widely regarded throughout the powerlifting world as the greatest powerlifter of all time. Coan has set over 71 world records in powerlifting.
Konstantīns Konstantinovs was a Latvian powerlifter of russian descent. His raw deadlift of 426 kg (939.2 lb), set in 2009, was formerly the heaviest raw deadlift, and was the world record for the 140 kg (308 lb) weight class until 2021.
Kirk Karwoski is an American world champion powerlifter. Kirk is a 7 time USPF National Powerlifting Champion, a 6 time IPF World Powerlifting Champion and an IPF Junior World Powerlifting Champion.
Jon Frederic Cole was a powerlifter, Olympic weightlifter and strongman from the United States. He competed in powerlifting just prior to the formation of the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF). Having set world records in the squat, deadlift and Total during his career, he was multiple times AAU US National Powerlifting Champion as well as an outstanding Olympic weightlifter, discus thrower and shot-putter. Being the "premier strongman" of the early 1970s for his overall excellence in powerlifting, Olympic lifting and strength-based track and field, Cole was at one time known as the "strongest man in the world" for holding the greatest combined powerlifting/weightlifting super total of all time. Jon Cole was not only officially the first man in history to total 2200 lbs, he also became the first man to squat over 900 lbs as well as the first to total 2300 lbs in competition on October 28, 1972. Today, he is enjoying legendary status in the powerlifting scene and is widely considered to be one of the all-time greatest powerlifters in the history of the sport. His lifts, which are considered as raw by today's standards, are still mostly unequaled in his weight class: He still holds the all-time greatest raw (unequipped) powerlifting totals in the 242 and the 308-pound division. While past his prime as a lifter, he competed in the first annual World's Strongest Man competition in 1977, where he finished in 6th place.
Dan Green is an Elite American powerlifter and owner of both Boss Barbell Club and Mountain View Fitness in Mountain View, California. His best competition lifts in the 242 lb (110 kg) weight class are an 848 lb (385 kg) squat, a 530 lb (240 kg) bench press, and an 837.5 lb (380 kg) deadlift. His best powerlifting meet total at 242 lbs is 2210 lb (1002.5 kg). His best competition lifts in the 220 lb (100 kg) weight class are an 837.5 lb (380 kg) squat, a 501 lb (227.5 kg) bench press, and an 827 lb (375 kg) deadlift. His best total at 220 lbs is 2110 lbs (957.5 kg).
Tamás Molnár is a powerlifter and world champion. From 1997, he joined the junior and senior national team, and topped national records several times in deadlift. From 2012, he is a professional sportsman and in 2014, he garnered the first place in Argentina at the GPC World Championship.
Erni Gregorčič is the most decorated and successful Slovenian powerlifter and record holder. He is a professional personal trainer and specialized strength coach. He is also the coach of Mariša Golob, the most successful female in Slovenian powerlifting history.
Kirill Igorevich Sarychev is a Russian powerlifter. He previously held the world record in the raw bench press with a lift of 335 kg (738.5 lb). In 2016, he set a world record raw three-lift powerlifting total of 1,082.5 kg (2,386.5 lb).
Brady Anthony Stewart is an American weightlifter. He was born on July 21, 1982 in St. Louis Missouri. Stewart is an 8-time US National Bench Press Team member for USA Powerlifting(Luxembourg 2009, Lithuania 2013, Sweden 2015, Denmark 2016, Lithuania 2017, South Africa 2018, Japan 2019, Czech Republic 2020[canceled due to Covid-19]). Stewart is the current American Record holder in the 120 kg / 264 lbs weight class with a press of 356.5 kg or 785.9 lbs. Stewart is the only lifter in US history to have medaled in IPF OPEN World Equipped Bench Press Championship competition in the 264 lbs weight class. He is also a member of the historic 2009 World Champion US National Bench Press Team.
Viktoria Vasylivna Posmitna (Larsson) – Ukrainian athlete, coach, TV host. Honored Master of Sports of Ukraine, Master of Sports of Ukraine of international class, twelve-time champion of Ukraine, multiple winner of the European and World Championships.
Rovshan Magsad ogly Khalilov is an Azerbaijani powerlifter and strongman competitor, Honored Master of Sports of Azerbaijan, Master of Sports of International Class, eleven-time champion of Azerbaijan, four-time world and three-time European champion.
Ana Rosa Castellain is a Brazilian powerlifter, seven-time world champion. She became the main Brazilian athlete active in the country after being inducted into the IPF Hall of Fame. She currently resides and trains in the city of Garopaba on the coast of Santa Catarina.
