Elliott Sykes has been powerlifting since he was 15 years old. His progress has been astonishing three years in, and he is only getting started. Sykes switched to Powerlifting America (PA) early in 2024.
Sykes convincingly won their High School National Championship in April 2024 and the overall Best Lifter prize. This qualified him for the 2024 International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) Junior World Championships (JWC) in St. Paul’s Bay, Malta, where he competed in the Sub-Junior (ages 14-18) 74KG class.
Sykes catapulted into the lead from his first lift, ultimately claiming IPF raw Sub-Junior world records in all three lifts and total and an IPF raw Junior Squat world record.
2024 IPF Junior World Championships Results — Elliott Sykes, 74KG, Sub-Junior | Raw
- Squat
- 275.5 kilograms — IPF Sub-junior World Record
295.5 kilograms- 295.5 kilograms — IPF Sub-Junior World Record, IPF Junior World Record
- Bench Press
157.5 kilograms- 162.5 kilograms
- 170.5 kilograms — IPF Sub-Junior World Record
- Deadlift
- 285.5 kilograms — IPF Sub-Junior World Record
- 300 kilograms — IPF Sub-Junior World Record
312.5 kilograms
- Total — 766 kilograms — IPF Sub-Junior World Record
[Related: Temur Samkharadze (+120KG) Breaks IPF Raw Deadlift World Record]
[Related: Brittany Schlater Eclipses IPF Raw Deadlift World Record at 2024 CPU Nationals]
Squat
Sykes opened with a Sub-Junior and Junior squat world record attempt of 275.5 kilograms. He looked relaxed and confident as he approached the platform. The squat seemed easy — he added 32.5 kilograms to the Sub-Junior world record.
For his second attempt, Sykes went up 20 kilograms, but his hips shot back and out of position, so he couldn’t complete the lift.
On his third attempt, Sykes spotted that the bar was misloaded; missing a 10-kilogram plate from one end. It was fortunate that Sykes was so observant, as an imbalance of that size on a one-rep max attempt could have serious consequences.
Once the barbell was correctly loaded, Sykes emerged from the wings and took the bar across his shoulders. This time, he hit the squat just right, and he drove the bar back to the top with a wide grin spreading across his face.
Bench Press
Sykes stumbled again on his opening bench press, jumping the “rack” command and receiving three red lights as a result. He increased his next attempt anyway and made short work of it before asking for 170.5 kilograms for his final attempt. He pressed it and claimed another record.
[Related: 2024 EPF Western European Championships Results]
Deadlift
Using a sumo stance and a lifting belt for support, Sykes smoked 285.5 kilograms for his opening deadlift, breaking the Sub-Junior world records in deadlift and total. The total record was 656 kilograms, and Sykes eclipsed it by nearly a hundred kilos.
On his second lift, Sykes joined the 300-kilogram club and locked it out easily. This was satisfying as he missed that weight at his national championships.
Unfortunately, Sykes’s attempt of 312.5 kilograms for the Junior total world record wasn’t successful. Sykes got the bar almost to lock out before sagging and returning the bar to the platform.
Sykes’ performance achieved all the full power world records in the Sub-Junior category and the squat world in the Junior category. He won the Best Lifter Award with 113.497 GL points, the highest score ever recorded for a Sub-Junior lifter in the IPF.
Sykes will move to the Junior category in 2025, and his potential seems limitless.
Featured image: @theipf on Instagram
