| 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 (as of 2024) the Australian Powerlifting Alliance 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.
Chen Wei-ling is a Taiwanese Olympic weightlifter and powerlifter.
Gerrit Badenhorst is a former WPC world champion powerlifter and professional strongman competitor from South Africa.
John Haack is an American powerlifter. Haack is considered one of the greatest powerlifters of all time along with being the greatest pound-for-pound powerlifter of the modern age. Haack is a multiple all-time world record-holder in multiple weight classes. He is the current world record holder in the raw 90 and 100 kilogram weight class.
Brett Gibbs is a New Zealand powerlifter, competing in the 83 kilogram weight class. He is a 3-time open world champion and 1-time junior world champion in the classic division.
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).
Michael Hall is a retired American powerlifter, who is perhaps best known for being a pioneer of the drug-free movement in powerlifting. Hall is considered the first African American Super Heavyweight powerlifter to win a World Powerlifting Championship.
Matthias Yap Zhe Yao is a Singaporean Powerlifter. He is an Asian Champion and a two-time National Champion under the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF). coached under CoachbyMARC, founded by his elder brother, Marcus Yap.
Farhanna Farid is a Singaporean powerlifter. She is a 2-time Asian champion and a 4-time national champion. As of 2022, she has broken 6 Asian records and a world record and is also the first Singaporean to win an overall gold medal in an international competition for the female's open category. She made her international competition debut in the 2018 Asian Classic Powerlifting Championships winning three golds.
Ana Rosa Castellain is a Brazilian powerlifter, seven-time world champion. She became the main Brazilian athlete active in the country after originally 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 four competitions.
Strength Sports Australia, previously known as the Australian Powerlifting Union or APU, is the Australian national World Drug-Free Powerlifting Federation affiliate. The APU was the Australian national International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) affiliate for the sport of Powerlifting between the years of 2018 and 2023. Formed in 2018 after Powerlifting Australia was removed from the IPF after Robert Wilks was not re-elected to the IPF Executive Committee, the APU hosted local-, state-, national- and international-level competitions under the IPF ruleset and banner.
Agata Sitko is a Polish heavyweight powerlifter, competing in the IPF. Despite being a junior, she has won the World Games in 2022 as a Heavyweight, the 2024 SBD Sheffield Powerlifting Championships, and has won the IPF World Equipped Championships in 2021, as well as the World Classic Championships in 2024.
Heather Connor is an American powerlifter, competing in the 47 kilogram weight class. She is a 2-time IPF world champion and 6-time national champion.
Krzysztof Wierzbicki is a Polish powerlifter. Wierzbicki has won 5 gold medals at the World Classic Championships and 2 gold medals at the European Classic (raw) Championships in the IPF. Wierzbicki has also took part in the World Games in 2017, where he finished in 5th place.
Panagiotis Tarinidis is a French classic powerlifter competing in -66 kg category. Tarinidis is two time world champion and two time European champion.
Russel Orhii is an American powerlifter, competing in the 83 kilogram weight class. He is a 2-time IPF World Champion and 6-time National champion.
Taylor Atwood is an American powerlifter. He is a 3-time IPF World Champion and has held multiple world records in the 74 kilogram weight class.
Bonica Brown is an American powerlifter competing in the IPF. She is a World Games champion, a 4-time Equipped World Champion, a 2-time Sub-Junior Equipped World Champion, and a 7-time Classic World Champion, and she has held multiple world records in each division.
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