British deadlift specialist Sanchez Dillon burst onto the international powerlifting scene at the UK Arnold in March 2024. With a gargantuan 391-kilogram deadlift, he set a new International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) world record in the 105KG class, breaking a record that had stood for five years.
Flash forward to the 2024 IPF Classic World Championships (CWC), and Dillon extended the record again by a considerable margin. He opened 10 kilograms heavier than anyone else in the weight class with 360 kilograms and made short work of it.
Dillon’s second at 382.5 kilograms moved just as easily, setting him up for a world record attempt on his third lift. Instead of chipping the record — adding a half-kilogram increment — he added nine kilograms to hit the landmark number of 400 kilograms, or 881.8 pounds.
Dillon stretched to the sky before bending and taking the barbell in a mixed grip. The lift was fast off the floor, typical of a conventional stance deadlift. It barely slowed through the lockout, and Dillon roared his triumph at the jubilant crowd. With this lift, Dillon became the first British man to deadlift 400 kilograms raw.
Dillon is at the forefront of a new wave of British deadlifters. In the past two years, five male athletes, including Dillon, have moved north of the 370-kilogram mark:
- Inderraj Singh Dhillon (120KG) — 395.5 kilograms
- Abdul Majeed Sulayman (120KG) — 380 kilograms
- Nonso Chinye (120KG) — 375.5 kilograms
- Saheed Aregbe (83KG) — 372.5 kilograms
In the same period, four British female athletes have achieved more than 240 kilograms:
- Erholove John (84KG) — 263 kilograms
- Ziana Azariah (84KG) — 262.5 kilograms
- Aquinn Onuoha (84+KG) — 251 kilograms
- Sophia Ellis (76KG) — 245.5 kilograms
Of course, the growth in powerlifting generally has contributed to the rising standard, particularly on the women’s side. However, the UK, in particular, seems to be building an army of world-class deadlifters.
2024 IPF World Classic Powerlifting Championship Results — Sanchez Dillon (Great Britain), 105KG
- Squat
- 270 kilograms
- 285 kilograms
295 kilograms
- Bench Press
- 165 kilograms
- 175 kilograms
- 182.5 kilograms
- Deadlift
- 360 kilograms
- 382.5 kilograms
- 400 kilograms — IPF Open World Record
- Total — 867.5 kilograms
These results gave Dillon a sixth-place finish at his first world championships and the deadlift gold medal. Dillon has not yet made his future competition plans known, but he expects to lift at the British Powerlifting (BP) British Classic Championships in November 2024.
More Powerlifting Content
- Agata Sitko (76KG) Breaks Bench Press and Total World Records To Win Her First IPF Classic World Title
- Carlos Petterson Grifith (93KG) Sets IPF World Record Raw Squat of 337.5 Kilograms
- Joy Nnamani (63KG) Sets IPF Raw Deadlift World Record of 231.5 Kilograms at 2024 IPF Classic World Championships
Featured image: @theipf on Instagram
