British Powerlifting (BP) is growing in size and stature; a large part of that growth comes from the latest crop of Juniors. Gwen Marsden is one of those young lifters who looks set to have a bright future in powerlifting.
Marsden is new to the sport, having started competing in 2023 as a university lifter. She won her class at the British University Championships and secured the silver medal at the 2023 International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World University Powerlifting Cup (WUC).
In 2024, Marsden dropped to the 43KG class, a weight class only available to Sub-junior (ages 14-18) and Junior (ages 19-23) categories. This does not appear to have impacted her strength, as her lifts are progressing quickly. Take a look at her meet recap from the 2024 BP British Junior Powerlifting Championships (BJC):
Marsden opened her squat on a Junior British record of 108 kilograms and extended it to 113.5 kilograms on her second. Her third attempt at 118 kilograms was a little too heavy. Still, she is only 1.5 kilograms away from the European Powerlifting Federation (EPF) European Junior squat record.
Marsden continued her historic performance by breaking the British Junior bench press record with her 71.5-kilogram opener and then taking 74 kilograms for her second, an unofficial European Junior record.
On the deadlift, Marsden’s opener secured the British Junior total record and an unofficial Junior total world record. She waited until her third attempt to take the British Junior deadlift record with a tough-looking 146.5 kilograms, exceeding the IPF Junior deadlift world record by half a kilogram, currently held by Cherry Yeung.
Marsden totaled 334 kilograms, 19 kilograms above the Junior total world record currently held by Italy’s Sara Ciaravino. This is the second biggest total ever done in the IPF in the 43KG class — only multiple-time world champion Tiffany Chapon has done more.
2024 BP British Junior Powerlifting Championships Results — Gwen Marsden, 43KG
- Squat
- 108 kilograms — BP Junior British Record
- 113.5 kilograms — BP Junior British Record
118 kilograms
- Bench Press
- 71.5 kilograms — BP Junior British Record
- 74 kilograms — BP Junior British Record, Unofficial EPF Junior European record
75 kilograms
- Deadlift
- 135 kilograms
- 142.5 kilograms
- 146.5 kilograms — BP Junior British Record, Unofficial IPFJjunior world record
- Total — 334 kilograms — BP Junior British Record, Unofficial IPF Junior world record
Marsden swept the board of British Junior records and seems in reach of doing the same to the IPF Junior world records the next time she competes. It’s unclear whether that will be at the FISU University World Championships in Estonia in July or at the IPF Junior World Championships in Malta in August 2024.
With the exuberance of youth, she may well do both. She looks set to achieve another record-breaking performance, whichever path she chooses.
Featured image: @gwen.powerlifting on Instagram
