| Women's powerlifting in Australia | |
|---|---|
 Two dumbbells | |
| Country | Australia |
| National team(s) | Australia |
| Women's powerlifting in Australia | |
|---|---|
| Two dumbbells | |
| Country | Australia |
| National team(s) | Australia |
Margaret Court was known by the British press as the 'Australian Amazon." She was one of the first Australian women to encourage women to integrate weightlifting into their training regime for other sports like tennis. [1]
Bodybuilding was introduced to Australia in 1981. The sport came over because of American influence. [2]
During the 1980s and 1990s, women's powerlifting saw a large expansion in the number of competitors. [3] Interest in the sport increased as women started adding resistance work to their regular work outs. [2] There was crossover with other sports. Australian Commonwealth Games competitors and Australians Olympians who took up the sport include Bev Francis, a shot putter and javelin thrower. [2]
The first Australian woman to set a world record in powerlifting was Jill Bamborough. She did this in 1978 in the bantam weight when she lifted 147 kilograms (324 lb). [3] A famous Australian powerlifter was Robin Weckert. She competed in the 75 kilograms (165 lb) class. [3] Australia has had several world champion powerlifters including Heidi Wittisch in the 75 kilograms (165 lb) class at the 1988 world champions. That same year, Marilyn Wallen in the 60 kilograms (130 lb) class and Gael Martin in the 90 kilograms (200 lb) class won silver medals. [2]
Bev Francis is an Australian powerlifter who has faced discrimination in the sport as a result of her body type. Critics had harsh things to state about the amount of muscle mass she possessed, claiming that she had too much muscle. Some of her critics taunted her at powerlifting events by calling her a freak. [2]
In 1984, there were 257 junior female members of the Australian Amateur Weightlifting Federation. [4]
In 2022, there were 1,517 women recorded as having competed in at least one powerlifting competition that year. [5] [6]
The IPF is the GAISF-recognised international powerlifting umbrella body, with the Australian Powerlifting Union operating as the national federation. As of June 2023, the following IPF World Records are held by Australian lifters:
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.
A barbell is a piece of exercise equipment used in weight training, bodybuilding, weightlifting, powerlifting and strongman, consisting of a long bar, usually with weights attached at each end.
The Wilks coefficient or Wilks formula is a mathematical coefficient that can be used to measure the relative strengths of powerlifters despite the different weight classes of the lifters. Robert Wilks, CEO of Powerlifting Australia, is the author of the formula.
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.
Rebecca Swanson is an American powerlifter and former professional wrestler. Becca Swanson holds several powerlifting world records for women, including the heaviest squat, heaviest deadlift and the heaviest bench press. Due to her accomplishments in professional powerlifting competitions and her multiple world records across many weightlifting disciplines, she is known as "the world‘s strongest woman", "the strongest woman on the planet", and the "strongest woman of all time".
Bench press world records are the international records in bench press across the years, regardless of weight class or governing organization, for bench pressing on the back without using a bridge technique.
Chen Wei-ling is from Tainan, Taiwan. She is an Olympic weightlifter and powerlifter.
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.
Benedikt "Benni" Magnússon is an Icelandic strongman and powerlifter. He has held the raw deadlift world record since 2011 with 460.4 kg (1,015 lb). He also set the world record for the heaviest strongman deadlift in 2014 with 461 kg (1,016 lb), which stood until English strongman Eddie Hall lifted 462 kg (1,019 lb) the next year.
Gerrit Badenhorst is a former WPC world champion powerlifter and professional strongman competitor from South Africa.
Brian Cameron Siders is an American world champion powerlifter and regular participant in the Arnold Strongman Classic. Brian is regarded as one of the strongest men to ever walk the planet, especially in press-movements.
Brad Gillingham is an American world champion powerlifter and strongman competitor from Minnesota, United States.
Blaine Sumner is an American world champion powerlifter from Conifer, Colorado, currently residing in Gillette, Wyoming, United States.
Vadym Dovhanyuk is an 11 times world champion powerlifter and World Games 2013 champion. He holds 36 unbeaten records in powerlifting and bench press. His personal records are squat – 410 kg, bench press – 335.5 kg, deadlift – 325 kg and total 1050.5 kg.
John Haack is a Russian American powerlifter and chemist. He is the current world record holder in the raw 90 and 100 kilogram weight class. He set the previous 82.5 kg world record of 907.5 kg on August 3, 2019 at the age of 26 at the Tribute powerlifting meet in San Antonio, Texas. For this total, he squatted 312.5 kg, bench pressed 232.5 kg, and deadlifted 362.5 kg. This total beat his own previous records of 890 kg and 875 kg. The previous record holder in this weight class was Maliek Derstine, with a total of 862.5 kg on January 23, 2016.
Brett Gibbs is a powerlifter from New Zealand. He was previously the International Powerlifting Federation world record holder in the classic 83 kg weight class. He became the IPF junior classic world champion in 2014 and the classic world champion in 2015. In 2016, he finished second in the IPF world championships behind John Haack of the US. In 2017, he finished second behind Anuar Ulan of Kazakhstan. Then in 2018, he reclaimed the IPF classic world title with a world record 830.5 kg total. The 299 kg squat and 214 kg bench were also world records. Finally in 2019, he lost out to Russel Orhii.
Powerlifting Singapore is the governing body for the sport of Powerlifting in Singapore. Powerlifting Singapore provides fair, drug-tested competitions nationwide, from local to National and International events. Powerlifting Singapore is recognized under the Asian Powerlifting Federation (APF) and the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF). As of 28 June 2014, Powerlifting (Singapore) has also officially endorsed and adopted Anti-Doping Singapore (ADS) drug control policy and regulation which is under compliance of World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Marcus Yap Zhe Mian was born on the 30th January, 1994. He is a Singaporean Powerlifting Coach and Powerlifter. Yap became the first Singaporean to break a powerlifting world record and win a medal at a world championship. In his career, he has broken two World records and six Asian records. He led the Singapore team to victory in several Asian Championships as well as coaching his younger brother, Matthew Yap, to breaking a total of four world records.
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.
Jesus Olivares is an American powerlifter. He is the reigning world champion at the IPF Classic Powerlifting Championships in the 120+ kilogram weight class, winning two competitions.
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| Team sports | |
