The 2022 International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Classic Championships in Sun City, South Africa, took place June 6-11, 2022, and saw an obscene number of IPF raw world records fall. The Women’s 47-kilogram, 52-kilogram, 57-kilogram, 76-kilogram, and +84-kilogram categories and the Men’s 66-kilogram, 83-kilogram, 93-kilogram, and +120-kilogram categories all provided edits to the record book. And those were just in the Open divisions.
In the Masters 3 division, 62-year-old David Ricks, who has been atop the competitive powerlifting for decades, furthered his record-decorated career with three IPF raw world records in the 93-kilogram class in Sun City. He hit a new IPF raw squat world record of 305 kilograms (672.4 pounds), a new IPF raw bench press world record of 202.5 kilograms (446.4 pounds), and a new IPF raw total world record of 772.5 kilograms (1,703.1 pounds). Here are his first-place results:
2022 IPF World Classic Championships Results — David Ricks | Masters 3, 93KG
- Squat
- 282.5 kilograms (622.8 pounds)
- 305 kilograms (672.4 pounds) — New Masters 3 IPF Raw World Record
331.5 kilograms (730.8 pounds)
- Bench Press
- 180 kilograms (396.8 pounds)
- 192.5 kilograms (424.4 pounds)
- 202.5 kilograms (446.4 pounds) — New Masters 3 IPF Raw World Record
- Deadlift
- 265 kilograms (584.2 pounds)
290 kilograms (639.3 pounds)290 kilograms (639.3 pounds)
- Total — 772.5 kilograms (1,703.1 pounds) — New Masters 3 IPF Raw World Record
Ricks’ opening squat and second bench press attempt was initially IPF raw world records. He broke both of them again on his respective following attempts. Ricks currently holds the Masters 3 IPF raw deadlift world record of 287.5 kilograms (633.8 pounds).
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[Related: 19-Year Old Max Shethar (140KG) Deadlifts 365 Kilograms — the Heaviest Ever In the Teen 18-19 Division]
Ricks’ current Masters 3 raw world records are significantly higher than the next closest lifts. According to Open Powerlifting, here is the second heaviest Masters 3 raw squat, raw bench press, and raw total in the 93-kilogram class and how much heavier Ricks’ current world records are:
- Squat — Jósef Gromek, 240 kilograms (529.1 pounds) — Ricks’ world record squat is 65 kilograms (143.3 pounds) heavier
- Bench Press — Ilkka Launonen, 157.5 kilograms (347.2 pounds) — Ricks’ world record bench press is 45 kilograms (99.2 pounds) heavier
- Total — Jósef Gromek, 655 kilograms (1,444 pounds) — Ricks’ world record total is 117.5 kilograms (259 pounds) heavier
In Ricks’ Instagram post recapping his performance at the 2022 IWF World Classic Championships, he mentioned how “a lot of folks thought [his third attempt of 290 kilograms (639.3 pounds)] was good a good [deadlift],” but he received two of three red lights from the judges. Ricks’ current IPF world records seem to be temporary placeholders given how well he is still pushing the boundaries of what lifts are possible in the Masters divisions. We’ll see if he calls for 290 kilograms on the barbell again in the deadlift when he competes on the international stage again.
Featured image: @ricks.david on Instagram
