Ukraine’s Daria Rusanenko lifts in equipped International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) competition. She moved up in the 84-kilogram class in 2021 but has yet to fill it out, routinely weighing in well under 80 kilograms (176 pounds). Rusanenko has a year left in the Junior (ages 20-23) category but is already one of the world’s top lifters in the Open class.
Rusanenko was the 2019 Sub-junior World Champion and ranked third overall in the Open category at the 2022 IPF World Equipped Powerlifting Championships (WEC). At the 2023 IPF Equipped World Championships in Druskininkai, Lithuania, from Nov. 13-18, 2023, Rusanenko set a new equipped squat world record in the 84-kilogram class. Check out Rusanenko’s record-breaking lift in the video below, courtesy of the IPF’s Instagram page:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cz0RV41Cul6/
Rusanenko performed the lift wearing a single-ply squat suit, knee wraps, wrist wraps, and a lifting belt, all of which are permitted in IPF equipped categories. The lift appeared smooth and comfortable from start to finish. However, a subsequent attempt at 288 kilograms (635 pounds) was not successful. Still, Rusanenko picked up the squat gold medal along with the squat world record. Her full performance is below:
2023 IPF World Equipped Championships Results — Daria Rusanenko (UKR), 84KG
- Squat
- 265 kilograms (584 pounds)
- 278 kilograms (613 pounds)
288 kilograms (635 pounds)
- Bench Press
140 kilograms (309 pounds)- 140 kilograms (309 pounds)
- 147.5 kilograms (325 pounds)
- Deadlift
- 200 kilograms (441 pounds)
- 212.5 kilograms (468.5 pounds)
- 215 kilograms (474 pounds) — IPF Equipped Open World Record
- Total — 640 kilograms (1411 pounds)
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The equipped squat world record already belonged to Rusanenko entering the competition in Lithuania. She originally set it at 275.5 kilograms (607 pounds) at the 2022 WEC in Viborg, Denmark. She later advanced it to 276 kilograms at the 2023 European Powerlifting Federation (EFP) European Equipped Championships (EEC) in Thisted, Denmark. In Druskininkai, she added 2 kilograms (4.5 pounds) to the world record on her second attempt rather than “chipping” it.
Usually, weight can only be added to the barbell in 2.5-kilogram (5.5-pound) increments. However, at IPF World Championships, lifters can “chip” a world record by adding half a kilo (one pound). This is a useful tactic for lifters in close battles as it forces opponents to go up an extra 2.5 kilograms (5.5 pounds). This is the reason that Rusanenko and her coaching team selected 278 kilograms (613 pounds) rather than 276.5 kilograms (609.5 pounds).
Although Rusanenko was in the lead after squats, Canada’s Rhaea Stinn past Ruanenko on the leaderboard with a whopping 202.5-kilogram (446.5-pound) bench press. Rusanenko scored the bigger deadlift but could not reclaim the lead that Stinn established. Rusanenko settled for second place overall.
Although Rusanenko’s plans have not yet been announced, she is expected to compete next at the 2024 EPF EEC in Hamm, Luxembourg, on May 7, 2024. She has plenty of time and room to grow in the weight class, so there is little doubt further attempts to extend her squat world record are on the horizon.
Editor’s note: BarBend is the Official Media Partner of the WRPF. The two organizations maintain editorial independence unless otherwise noted on specific content projects.
Featured image: @theipf on Instagram
