On Mar. 19th, 2022, strongman Chris Van der Linde set a new African deadlift record by pulling a monster 455 kilograms (1,003.1 pounds). He became the first South African to deadlift over 1,000 pounds. The South African native performed the strength feat at the 2022 South African Log, Deadlift, & Axle competition in Sunninghill, South Africa.
“The Ox” used straps and a weightlifting belt while performing the deadlift. Notably, Van der Linde utilized a deadlift hitch to secure the weight to a lockout. Although hitching is illegal in sanctioned powerlifting competitions, it is legal in strongman contests. He broke his previous African deadlift record of 440 kilograms (970 pounds), which he previously set at the 2021 Africa’s Strongest Man contest. Van der Linde also employed a similar hitching technique to set his previous African deadlift record.
Check out the new record in the video below, courtesy of Julian Howard’s Instagram page:
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Van Der Linde’s 455-kilogram (1,003.1-pound) deadlift is the heaviest ever pulled in competition on his home continent. It’s 45 kilograms shy of the 500-kilogram deadlift club which is home to only two strongmen — 2017 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) Eddie Hall, who scored the world’s first 500-kilogram (1,102.3-pound) deadlift, and Hafthor Björnsson, who tacked on an additional kilogram to 501 kilograms (1,104.5 pounds) in May 2020.
The 30-year-old Van der Linde also set a new South African axle press record at the 2022 South Africa Log, Deadlift & Axle Competition by pressing a 175-kilogram (385-pound) axle. Van der Linde performed the axle lift and press while wearing elbow sleeves and a weightlifting belt. While the first half of the lift was smooth, Van der Linde struggled in the lockout phase but managed to complete the lift successfully.
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Chris Van Der Linde’s Strongman Career
According to Strongman archives, Chris Van der Linde competed in four strongman competitions before entering the 2022 SA Log, Deadlift & Axle Competition. He sent ripples down the Strongman community by winning his debut contest — the 2019 Africa’s Strongest Man. He finished second in the 2020 edition of the competition.
The South African made his WSM debut in 2021 but had to withdraw during the qualifying stage due to illness. The 2021 Africa’s Strongest Man was his last strongman competition, where he took a fourth-place finish after setting the 440-kilogram deadlift record. The 2022 WSM contest is scheduled for May 24-29, 2022, in Sacramento, CA.
Featured image: @worldsstrongestfan on Instagram