Many New World Records Made at Men's & Women's Open World Championships
With over 300 lifters from 30+ nations it was a busy week for the officials with 10 to 12 hours lifting on most days. Very well organised by the Meet Director, Emanuel Schieber, the Championships was an enjoyable event and his team of helpers, in particular, the Information Centre, ensured that the competition ran smoothly.
WOMENS CHAMPIONSHIPS
There were 9 bodyweight classes contested and in the 48kg class the tiny Wei Ling Chen of Chinese Taipei showed strength beyond her looks and a final dead lift of 185kg gave her a new World record total of 457.5kg to take the title and beat last years champion Yukako Fukushima from Japan.
In the 52kg class, Kateryna Klymenko of the Ukraine was best in this class of 16 with a 462.5kg total.
The next four bodyweight classes were dominated by the Russian lifters.
Inna Filimonova at 56kg winning comfortably with a 527.5kg total and at 60kg a massive 155kg world record bench press was part of Irina Poletaeva’s winning total of 542.5kg.
A World record squat of 252.5kg by Galina Potselueva helped her to a 620kg Gold medal total in the 67.5kg class, though Larysa Solovyov of the Ukraine, who had made a World record bench press of 162.5kg, tried a 245kg dead lift to win, but the bar crashed to the floor. In the same class, Masters One lifter, Mayumi Kitamura from Japan, made new Bench Press record with 152.5kg.
The 75kg class brought the outstanding performance of the Championships when Yulia Zaugolova from Russia squatted 260kg, failed to come up with World record 271kg, benched 155kg and deadlifted 225kg for a 640kg total, All done at a bodyweight of 70.20kilos, which won her the Womens’s Best Lifter award.
Svetlana Dedyula from Russia was way ahead of the other lifters in the 82.5kg class and after a 250kg squat pressed up a 155kg bench press for a new World record. This was followed by an easy 220kg dead lift to give her the title with a 655kg total.
Breaking the Russian winning pattern was last years 90kg world champion, Ielja Strik from the Netherlands, who lifted in a controlled, positive manner to record a 662.5kg to win the Gold medal.
The 90+kg category saw the Russian lifter, Irina Lugovaya, weighing in at 100.40kgs, lift solidly all the way making nine attempts to total 680kg to win, although there could have been a different ending if Jessica O’Donnell of America had made all her squats, then she would have been left with less than the monster 260kg dead lift she was asked to pull to win. Making new Masters Two European records was the Austrian lifter, Rosemarie Beer, 62 years old, creating new records in the squat, bench press, dead lift and total.
The Team trophy was won by Russia with six winners.
MENS CHAMPIONSHIP
The 56kg class was the first of the 10 bodyweight classes to be contested in the Men’s Championship and it was the pocket sized powerhouse from Russia, Sergey Fedosienko who won the Gold medal with a World record total of 700kgs at a bodyweight of 55.1kg. His faultless performance of nine successes from nine attempts won him the Men’s Best Lifter award.
Last years champion in the 60kg class, Ting Tsung Hsieh from Chinese Taipei was challenged by many time World champion Pavlov Constantine from Russia, who kept up with Hsieh on squat and bench press but Hsieh pulled away with a 270kg dead lift totalling 722.5kg to win the class.
Another previous world champion, Ravil Kazakov from Russia had winner stamped on him, when he squatted 310kg in the 67.5kg class. He made a 222.5kg bench press and 245kg dead lift to win the title leaving Hassan El Belghitti, Koiwai and Shalokha from Ukraine to battle for second place. It ended with El Belghitti pulling the best dead lift of the class, 292.5 kg, to secure second spot.
Last years World champion in the 75kg class Wade Hooper from the USA started well on the squat and bench press but faltered on the dead lift with two failures leaving Jaroslaw Olech of Poland, who had made a new World record of 350kg on the squat, pull a 310kg dead lift to total 860kg for the win.
The 82.5kg class was a real tussle for the gold medal with four lifters all in contention, but as in all Powerlifting contests, it is always decided when the dead lift starts and in the third round of the dead lift, Davranbek Turakhanov of Kazakhstan knew he had to succeed with his last attempt to win. A tremendous pull from this strong man from Asia with 322.5kg gave him a total of 872.5kg, the same as the Russian lifter Sergey Bogdanov, but winning by virtue of a lighter bodyweight of 80.20kg to the Russians 82.10kg
In the 90kg class, Andrey Belyaev of Russia was in a world of his own. Started with a 380kg World record squat added a 257.5kg bench press then pulling a 340kg dead lift to make a World record 977.5kg total, Fantastic lifting as he was 97.5kgs ahead of the Italian, Daniel Ghiradi who then beat on bodyweight the Ukrainian lifter Andriy Krymov who had made the best bench press, a World record 285kg
The Russian lifters won the next two classes. At 100kg, Andrey Tarasenko was good on all three lifts winning with a 997.5kg total just 20 kilos ahead of his team mate Konstantin Lebedko.
Placing 7th was this years World Masters One champion Petr Theuser of Czechia winning this title just two weeks earlier. Petr had lost none of his winning form making a European Masters One Squat record with 362.5kg and his 902.5kg total was a World Masters One record.
Moving up to the 110kg class, Maxim Barkhatov of Russia had no weaknesses in his lifting totalling 1050kg to win, 50 kilos in front of the second man Oleksiy Rokochly from the Ukraine.
We had waited five days to see the giants of our sport, the 125kg and 125+ lifters, and we were not disappointed when they appeared on platform. Clive Henry of Great Britain squatted 425kg and benched 260kg in the 125kg class. Looked good for the win but it was Tony Cardella from America, seeing Clive Henry’s last dead lift slip away from his hand, came out and pulled 367.5kg to total 1022.5kg and win his first World title.
The +125kg class was the last class of the Championships and when the 6’6”, 158kg Vladimir Bondarenko from Russia squatted 435kg with ease, we were looking at the winner. A 280kg bench press and 377.5kg dead lift was enough to win and his 1092.5kg total won him the Gold medal.
An inspired Brad Gillingham of the USA was lifting today and when he saw Bondarenko dead lift the 377.5kg he upped his last attempt to 390kg, a weight he pulled slowly and steadily for three whites, second place and a new Masters One World record total. It was a high spot for the Championships to finish on.
Team Trophy winner was Russia with 6 class winners
BEST LIFTER AWARDS
WOMEN Yulia Zaugolova of Russia - 640kg total at 70.20kg bodyweight
MEN Sergey Fediosenko of Russia - 700kg total at 55.10kg bodyweight
IPF CONGRESS
The 2007 IPF Congress was held at the venue and with the President, Norbert Wallauch, not seeking re-election after 8 years in office, the new President elected was the former IPF General Secretary, Detlev Albrings of Germany. Norbert Wallauch received a standing ovation from the IPF Congress and was honoured for his long contribution by being elected to the IPF Hall of Fame.
Emanuel Scheiber of Austria was elected as the new IPF General Secretary and Gaston Parage of Luxembourg was re-elected unopposed as the IPF Treasurer.
IPF MEDIA OFFICER:-
Dennis J. Unitt, 21, Greville Smith Avenue, LEAMINGTON SPA, CV31 2HQ, England
Telephone: +441-926-770252 Fax: +441-926-770251 E.Mail dunitt@aol.com