Agata Sitko - The Remarkable Rise of Poland's Precocious Powerhouse

Agata Sitko burst onto the world stage in 2021 at 19 years old.  Covid restrictions and lockdown had prevented her competing internationally before then but, to be fair, that only seems to have fuelled her spectacular rise through the powerlifting ranks.

Agata started powerlifting at age 16 and entered her first competition almost immediately.  Although her debut total of 352.5kg was impressive for a 70kg sub-junior, it didn't really foreshadow what was to come.  Within a year, she had added 82.5kg to that total and benched 100kg in competition, raw.  With no international competitions available, Agata flew under the radar, gaining strength, gaining experience, quietly making gains before bursting onto the scene at the 2021 European Equipped Championships in Pilsen in August 2021.  The competition wasn't particularly stiff in the 76kg juniors - Agata was up against her team mate, also at her first international and whose numbers were a fair way behind.  With an approach that would very quickly become familiar, Agata did not take this as an opportunity for an easy win - she came out all guns blazing.

Her opener of 200kg looked careful, a little nervous maybe, but really well controlled and she seemed to relax into the competition really quickly after that.  210kg moved better for her second but she did pick up one red light for depth from one of the side refs.  225kg for her third didn't seem much slower but it was noticeably higher than the previous one and was turned down for insufficient depth 2 to 1.

Agata opener her bench on 165kg but it looked tough and raised questions about how much more she had to give.  Undeterred, she asked for a junior world record of 173kg to be added to the bar.  She handled the weight well and pressed it most of the way but her left arm just would not lock, despite two attempts at this weight.

A comfortable-looking opener of 200kg took the deadlift junior world record and Agata pushed it up to 215kg on her second and called for 225kg for her third.  She got it moving well but locked her legs a little early and ended up with the weight out in front of her.  Impressively, she actually managed to finish the lift, showing that it would most probably be there next time, but not today.

Three weeks later, Agata had her first real taste of opposition at the World Juniors and Masters in Romania, going head to head with the phenomenal Sonja Stefanie Krueger. Krueger took an early lead with a junior world record squat of 257.5kg while Sitko squatted 235kg - a 25kg improvement in only 3 weeks!  Agata benched 175kg - a weight that would have taken the world record had Krueger not just taken it with 180kg on her second.  At sub-total, Sitko was 27.5kg behind but she swiftly closed the closed the gap with massive pulls of 210kg and then a junior world record of 218kg.  Sonja extended the gap with a tough looking 205 meaning Agata need to pull 233 to win.  She called for the weight and came out looking focussed.  It came off the floor well but stalled at the knee and swung forward.  A valiant but ultimately unsuccessful attempt to beat one of the most dominant junior equipped lifters of her generation.

No rest for Agata though.  The Classic World Championships in Halmstad were only one month later and the competition was fierce in the junior 76s with Vilma Olsson of Sweden squatting an open world record.   Agata only got her opening squat and was 30kg behind going into bench.   Although, benching two junior world records in a row, 120kg then 125.5kg, helped her regain a little ground, they were evenly matched on deadlift and Sitko couldn't overcome the huge advantage Olsson gained on squat.

Six weeks later and Agata was back in kit and on her way to Stavanger for her first international in the open category - the jewel in the IPF's crown, the Open World Championships.  Agata opened on a personal best - a pattern she had already firmly established in her short career.  But all did not go well and she missed her 240kg opener on depth.  Remaining calm, she took it to depth on her second attempt and got herself on the board and into contention.  Her third squat of 250kg was turned down 2 to 1, leaving her in fourth place. 

However, things changed quickly on bench - Agata shot into the lead with her opener and extended it further with every subsequent attempt, finishing on 180kg - fully 30kg more than anyone else in class.  Even though this gave Agata a commanding lead, her nearest rival, Norway's Marte Elverum was opening her deadlift with a massive 240kg - nearly enough to close the gap in one go!  Drama though when Marte missed her opener, just losing balance a little halfway up and causing the bar to dip. In the second round, Kloie Doublin took Sitko's junior world record in deadlift but she took it straight back and took the junior world record total into the bargain. She extended both by 5kg on her last deadlift and had to wait to see whether Elverum could pull 260kg for the title.  The home crowd took the roof off for Marte but it was just too heavy and the Polish powerhouse secured the Open World Championship title in her first year of international competition, stamping her invitation to the 2022 World Games in Alabama into the bargain.

After a 4 month break, Agata lifted classic at Polish nationals in March and put up some incredible numbers, including 144kg on bench which comfortable exceeds the current world standard and a 564.5kg total - higher than Jess Buettner's open world record.  The world of powerlifting started to daydream about a 76kg showdown at Classic Worlds.  Of course, with The World Games straight after, it was understandably off the table.  But with only moments to go before the close of nominations, Sitko slipped in, right at the top and gave us the match up we dreamed of - Sitko vs Buettner in South Africa.

With the distraction of this news, many of us missed her nomination in the equipped Euros in May.  She was nominated in the 84kg junior category.  Surely she would take it easy with so many big competitions on the way?  Well, it appears that's just not the Sitko way.  Although she only got one squat in, that one squat was 265kg, matching the junior world record.  She followed it up with an open world record attempt of 275kg which was strong but not quite deep enough.

Again missing her opener, she came back strong on bench, taking the junior world record with 188kg.  As is her habit, she opened her deadlift with a personal best and absolutely smoked 235kg to take the OPEN total world record.  245kg looked almost as fast and she called for an open world record attempt for her third - 251.5kg.  As she set up to pull, she suddenly realised she hadn't fastened her belt and she laughed and seemed so relaxed - and then the focus returned, she gripped the bar and began to pull.  It looked heavy - but it was never in any doubt and Agata Sitko added another notch to her belt.

What stands out is how much she seems to enjoy competing.  Standing with her headphones on, singing, as she waits to come out onto the platform.  No sign of pressure or stress, just calm, focussed and happy to be on the platform.  It is a joy to watch.

And what's next for this young athlete?  A match up for the ages in South Africa against Jess Buettner is in about 4 weeks time.  And then maybe another 5 weeks until The World Games.  Agata has the potential and the opportunity to make the mythical triple - World Classic Champion, World Equipped Champion and World Games Champion, all within 12 months of her first international competition.  If anyone can do it, Sitko can.