The 74kg class was an absolute stormer at Classic Worlds in Malta. Taylor Atwood has dominated this class for years and his 2021 performance at USA nationals, where he totalled 838.5kg and scored 123.42 GL points, has never been surpassed. However, he has not been at full strength this year, and there were stronger challengers in class than ever before.
Tim Monigatti from New Zealand, having recently made the cut to the 74s, was something of an unknown quantity but he answered the question pretty quickly, breaking Atwood's squat world record with 283.5kg and making it look easy.
Atwood regained the lead with a 197.5kg bench press, taking the silver just behind Chinese Taipei's Chun-Chia Fan who took the gold with a massive 205kg.
At sub-total, junior world champ, Carl Johansson of Sweden, was quietly building a total and had managed to get himself up to 4th place, only 3.5kg behind Monigatti who was only 4kg behind Fan. Atwood however was another 10kg up the road. In the lead, but definitely not safe.
After the first round of deadlifts, Atwood still held the lead but Johansson was in 2nd, only 5kg behind. Johansson broke the junior deadlift and total world records with an easy looking 320kg for his second and looked on target for a run at the king.
In the final round, Paul Rembauville of France broke Kjell Bakkelund's long standing deadlift record with 322.5kg. Atwood was out next for 323kg. He pulled it with some difficulty but it was turned down for soft lockout and his world title run seemed in peril. Monigatti next for 324.5kg to take the lead. It was initially rejected by the referees for downward movement of the bar but the jury overturned and gave the lift - another world record for Monigatti.
The last lifter to approach the platform was Johansson and the crowd were on their feet, chanting his name. He looked serious as he set up to pull but, in the end, 328kg for an open world record and his first open world title was easy. The young lifter fell to his knees and roared his triumph and the crowd roared back. An amazing finish to a brilliant session.
Carl Johansson SWE 778kg
Tim Monigatti NZL 778kg
Taylor Atwood USA 777.5kg
Post a Comment