Polish powerlifter Jarosław Olech has been a stalwart of equipped lifting in the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) for 30 years. His first international win was at the 1997 European Powerlifting Federation (EPF) European Junior Championships. He won the IPF Junior World title for the first time that same year.

Olech continued to lift at a high level, and his achievements are legion. He was a 17-time world champion prior to the 2023 IPF World Equipped Championships (WEC). He has lifted at The World Games three times, all to gold-medal finishes. At 49 years old, Olech holds the IPF Open world records in equipped squat at 370 kilograms (816 pounds), and equipped total at 908 kilograms (2,002 pounds).

At the 2023 IPF WEC, Olech launched his world title campaign again. In the previous three editions, Norway’s Kjell Egil Bakkelund beat Olech, but Bakkelund was absent in 2023 to focus on raw competition instead. Olech took advantage of the opportunity and scored his 18th Open world title. Take a look at some of the highlights from Olech’s session, courtesy of the IPF Instagram page below:

[Related: Daria Rusanenko (84KG) Squats IPF Equipped World Record of 278 Kilograms (613 Pounds)]

2023 IPF World Equipped Powerlifting Championships Results – Jarosław Olech (Poland) 74KG

• Squat
  • 335 kilograms (738.5 pounds)
  • 335 kilograms (738.5 pounds)
  • 345 kilograms (760.5 pounds)
• Bench Press
  • 190 kilograms (419 pounds)
  • 197.5 kilograms (435 pounds)
  • 202.5 kilograms (446.5 pounds)
• Deadlift
  • 285 kilograms (628 pounds)
  • 295 kilograms (650 pounds)
  • 315 kilograms (694.5 pounds) 
• Total — 862.5 kilograms (1,901.5 pounds)

[Related: IPF Squat World Record Broken Thrice in the 120KG Class at IPF Equipped World Championships]

Olech stumbled at the outset of the competition, missing his 335-kilogram (738.5-pound) opening squat when he lost his line slightly and drew blue card failures for downward movement of the barbell. He hit it well on his second attempt, though. His third squat of 345 kilograms was enough for the squat gold medal.

At sub-total, Ecuador’s Alex Ochoa was in the lead by 2.5 kilograms, but Olech reclaimed the lead with a 285-kilogram (628-pound) deadlift. From then on, Olech could not be caught. Olech took a well-judged 315 kilograms (694.5 pounds) for his final deadlift. It looked tough, but Olech locked it out to claim his 18th world title in style.

The large contingent of Polish fans in the audience, who had been waving banners and chanting Olech’s name throughout, took this as their cue to express their excitement. Their en masse rendition of the Polish national anthem during the medal ceremony was emotional for all involved.

Olech is expected to lift next at the 2024 EPF European Equipped Championship (EEC), held in Hamm, Luxembourg, starting May 7, 2024.

Featured image: @jaroslaw_olech on Instagram