On his first international appearance, Bobb Matthews claimed the 2024 International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) 2024 Classic World title in the 120KG class.
- Moreover, he did it at 105.9 kilograms bodyweight, not even a kilogram into the class.
Matthews deadlifted 380 kilograms at the 2024 IPF Classic World Championships (CWC) in Druskininkai, Lithuania, to secure the title, totaling over ten kilograms more than his nearest rival.
However, he looks set to leave that number in the dust, judging by a training update Matthews shared on his Instagram page on Aug. 14, 2024, wherein he took 381 kilograms for two smooth repetitions.
Using a lifting belt to increase intra-abdominal pressure, Matthews set up in a sumo stance and began to pull. The first repetition looked comfortable and locked out easily. Matthews returned the barbell to the platform and re-set his hook grip in preparation for the second rep. It was a little slower than the first but locked out well.
It seems Matthews may have attempted a triple rather than a double, but the final rep was unsuccessful. However, he stated in the caption that it was a personal record (PR), i.e., the most he has ever done.
Next block, I hunt an all-time deadlift PR. But for reps.
Matthews’ performance at the 2024 CWC won him more than just the gold medal. By making the podium, he guaranteed a place at the 2025 World Games in Chengdu, China. The World Games is a multi-sport event held every four years for sports that aren’t yet included in the Summer Olympic Games.
- Matthews totaled more than 95% of the total world record in his class, securing his spot at the 2025 Sheffield Powerlifting Championships in the UK. This contest has an unusual format in which athletes from different weight classes compete against each other, not on formula, but on the proportion they achieve of the total world record in their class.
Given that Matthews was barely into the 120KG class at the 2024 CWC, it raises the question of which weight class he will compete in at future meets. The World Games features combined weight classes, and Matthews will have to lift in the same class he qualified for — in this case, the combined 120KG and 120+KG classes.
However, it may be in Matthews’ interest to compete in the 105KG class at Sheffield as the total world record is 940.5 kilograms, compared to 978.5 kilograms in the 120KG class. As his body weight has been within a couple of kilograms of the 105KG class at his last three meets, it would seem viable to weight cut. Whichever class Matthews chooses, he will get plenty of time to build upon an already colossal deadlift.
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Featured image: @ssjbobb on Instagram
