The International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) 2023 World Classic Championships in Valetta, Malta, showcased some of the best raw powerlifting the world has ever seen. World records fell in nearly every weight class, and there were historic performances and exciting battles throughout. Below are the highlights from the competition that ran from June 11-18, 2023:
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Skirmish in the Men’s 74KG Class
Taylor Atwood has dominated this class since first winning the world title in 2019 in Helsingborg, Sweden. At the 2022 IPF World Classic Powerlifting Championships, he wasn’t challenged and coasted to victory. This year, however, he was under pressure from the beginning.
Timothy Monigatti of New Zealand competed in the 83-kilogram class at last year’s IPF world classic championships and achieved fifth place with a 765-kilogram (1,687-pound) total. This year, he dropped a weight class and retained most of his strength.
Monigatti squatted a new IPF raw world record of 283.5 kilograms (625 pounds) on his third attempt with a relatively narrow stance and toes pointing forward. The style seems to work well for him, as he handled the weight with ease. He wore knee sleeves and a lifting belt to complete the lift.
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Atwood took back the lead and won the bench press gold medal with a tough 197.5-kilogram (435-pound) lift. However, he was put under pressure from the Junior world champion, Carl Johansson of Sweden, on the opening round of deadlifts.
Though still a Junior while competing in the Open division, Johansson was eligible to break Junior world records and did so with his second deadlift of 320 kilograms (705 pounds). He exceeded the IPF Junior raw deadlift world record and the IPF Junior raw total record of 770 kilograms (1,698 pounds).
In the third round of deadlifts, Paul Rembauville of France began a series of world record attempts that had the crowd on their feet. Here’s how it went:
- Rembauville — 322.5 kilograms (711 pounds)
- Atwood — 323 kilograms (712 pounds)
- Monigatti — 324.5 kilograms (715 pounds)
- Johansson — 328 kilograms (723 pounds) — IPF Deadlift World Record
Monigatti went into the lead with his final lift, but Johansson seemed unstoppable, loading exactly what was needed to match Monigatti’s total at a lighter body weight. He approached the barbell calmly and set up in a wide sumo stance. The weight moved easily, and the young Swede fell to his knees in an emotional win that saw the crowd spill onto the platform, chanting his name — a new 74-kilogram king was crowned.
2023 IPF World Classic Bench Press Championships Results — Men’s 74KG
- Carl Johansson (SWE) — 778 kilograms | bodyweight: 73.65 kilograms
- Timothy Monigatti (NZL) — 778 kilograms | bodyweight 73.85 kilograms
- Taylor Atwood (USA) — 777.5 kilograms
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Upset in the Women’s Super Heavyweight Class
The Women’s +84-kilogram class has long belonged to Bonica Brown of the USA, both raw and equipped. At the outset of this contest, Brown was the only name that had ever appeared on the +84-kilogram total world record. Brown, a 13-time world champion, was unbeaten at IPF Classic World Championships. However, all that was about to change.
Brown made a statement from the start, extending her IPF raw squat world record to 280.5 kilograms (618 pounds) with her second lift with plenty of strength in reserve. In the third round of squats, history was made when Canada’s Brittany Schlater broke the IPF raw record with 281 kilograms (619 pounds), becoming the first woman in history to take a squat world record from Brown.
That record did not stand for long, though. Sonita Muluh of Belgium has locked out crazy numbers in training, and when it came time to execute on the platform, she did not disappoint. She squatted 285.5 kilograms (629 pounds) with ease. Check it out below:
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Brown took 289 kilograms (637 pounds) for her final squat to further extend the record and take the squat gold medal. It seemed as though the natural order had been restored.
As the competition moved into the deadlift, a new contender emerged. Natalie Laalaai of Australia deadlifted 258 kilograms (569 pounds) on her opening attempt to break the IPF raw world record that stood since 2019.
Brown hit trouble on deadlifts — 240 kilograms (529 pounds) as her opening deadlift would have extended her own total world record, but a gasp ran around the audience when she struggled to lock it out. All three referees gave her a red light.
Brown’s second lift at the same weight was initially given two to one, but the jury overturned it, and Brown’s world championship campaign appeared in jeopardy.
The next lifter out in the second round was Schlater. She broke the IPF raw total world record when her 247.5-kilogram (546-pound) deadlift pushed her total up to 683.5 kilograms (1,507 pounds).
The excitement remained as Muluh came out next and broke the deadlift world record with 260.5 kilograms (574 pounds), only to see Laalaai take it back almost immediately with 268 kilograms (591 pounds). This progressed Muluh to the IPF raw total world record of 688.5 kilograms (1,517 pounds) and the overall lead.
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With everything on the line, Brown switched to a conventional stance for her final attempt to stay in the competition. Unfortunately, she could not fully lock out the weight, and her unbeaten run was over. This also meant that her squat world records were forfeited, and Muluh claimed the record for her 285.5-kilogram (629-pound) lift.
Schlater’s third deadlift of 257.5 kilograms (568 pounds) retook the IPF raw total world record and put her into gold medal position with Muluh still to lift. Muluh loaded up 267.5 kilograms, which would be enough for the overall gold. She stood the weight up, but the lift was unanimously turned down for a soft lockout, securing Schlater’s second world title.
This class gave us the biggest raw squat, the biggest raw deadlift, and the biggest raw total in IPF history. A new era has dawned in the women’s +84-kilogram class.
Featured image: @theipf on Instagram
