As the dust settles on the combined Sub-junior, Junior and Masters Equipped World Championships and the echoes fade, the athletes and crew begin their long journeys home and the competition organisers start to pack down the venue. The competition doesn’t really end until everyone is home and the records and results are registered. New friendships and rivalries were formed, new personal records set and hard won medals are being safely transported like the precious cargo they are.
Equipped powerlifting is a sport that will tax the nerves, the emotions and the body. Especially when travelling long haul to an international competition and experiencing bodyweight fluctuations that will cause the equipment to fit and function contrary to expectation. Herein lies heartache for many.
Due to covid restrictions this year, we had the unusual combination of sub-junior and junior lifters lifting alongside masters – youth and experience, shoulder to shoulder. Many athletes were attending their first international competition: others were seasoned lifters chalking up 20 or more years of representing their country.
Mariia Polianska of Ukraine took the best lifter award in the sub-junior women’s category after achieving sub-junior world records in squat, deadlift and total. Ukraine took the team award too with 4 world champions.
In the junior women’s category, Sonja-Stefanie Krueger of Germany took the best lifter award with junior world records in squat, bench and total. Poland’s Agata Sitko in the same class extended her own deadlift junior world record and Zuzanna Kula in the 47s pushed on her own junior world record in squat – both of these records were set only 3 weeks ago at the European Championships. Ukraine notched up another victory in the team award in this category with three overall winners.
Ilia Sherstnev of Russia was best lifter in the sub-junior men, setting a sub-junior world record in squat and total along the way. Ukraine won this category too with three sub-junior world champions.
In the juniors, it was Ilia Marichev of Russia – he set junior world records in bench and total and helped Russia take the team award with FIVE overall winners.
No surprise to see Kathrine Bak win the best lifter award in the M1 women’s category with her OPEN class world record deadlift. This gave the team award to Denmark.
Denmark’s Eva Buxbom took the best lifter in the M2 with a world M2 record in squat and total. However, Italy took the team award, helped along by Anna Stenghel’s M2 world record squat.
Lucica Olah was the only lifter in the women’s Masters 3 category so this was a home team win for Romania.
Sturla Abrahamsen Maeland of Norway was best lifter in the M1s and Czechia won the team award.
In the M2, Lewis Nopper’s M2 world record deadlift was not enough to give him the overall award which went to Germany’s Mario Schnurr. Denmark however were the winning team.
Bakyt Kerimbekov of Kyrgyzstan was best M3 lifter, setting a world M3 record on bench as did Kim Salby of Denmark. Poland took the team victory in this category.
Antanas Micius was best M4 lifter but it was Estonia that won the team award.
Six days of phenomenal equipped lifting with records falling at times like autumn rain. We enjoyed this immensely and can't wait for the next one. Hope to see you there.
29th August 2021
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