Two-time International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) world champion Heather Connor is a deadlifting powerhouse in the 47-kilogram class. She has broken the IPF raw deadlift world record in five times, adding an incredible 25 kilograms (55 pounds) to it over the last few years.
Connor seems to be accelerating, too. She broke the record twice in one day at the 2023 IPF Classic World Championships (CWC) in Malta, adding a staggering 15 kilograms (33 pounds) in one go. That 200-kilogram (442-pound) raw deadlift also stands at the all-time raw world record in the 48-kilogram class.
Recent training appears to be exceptional for Connor, who took to her Instagram page on Oct. 12, 2023, to share her latest remarkable feat: a 207.5-kilogram (457.5-pound) raw deadlift — 7.5 kilograms more than her current IPF raw deadlift record of 200 kilograms (440.9 pounds). Check it out below:
Connor motivated herself as she approached the barbell, shouting, “Let’s go,” before setting up in her familiar sumo stance. A Hans Zimmer soundtrack added pomp and drama in the background. She gripped the bar, dropped her hips, and gave her signature hair flick before starting the pull. The bar was slow off the floor, and her body shook extravagantly before completing the lift, but she locked it out nonetheless and never appeared in doubt.
In competition, Connor typically roars in triumph at the top of a lift, but in training, she is all business. She returned the bar to the platform, looked up at the camera, and drew her thumb across her throat. In the background, Connor’s training partners celebrate the lift with a quick flyby.
Connor’s dominance as a deadlifter in the lightest female weight classes cannot be overstated. The most that anyone else in the world has lifted in the 47-kilogram or 48-kilogram class is 190 kilograms (419 pounds). Connor is well clear of that pack and continues to improve at age 32.
2023 EPF Girl Power Tournament
This was Connor’s last heavy training session before heading off to Cenon, France, to compete in the 2023 EPF Girl Power Tournament on Oct. 22, 2023. She won the 2022 event against a stacked field, which included Canada’s Jessica Buettner and Iceland’s Kristín Þórhallsdóttir. The 2023 edition of the contest is more competitive than ever, featuring Jade Jacob, Agata Sitko, and Noémie Allabert at the top of the roster, just ahead of Connor.
The all-female contest is scored on GL points* and carries a first prize of 5,000 Euros (approx 5,270 US dollars). The event has an IPF sanction, which means Connor (and everyone else) can break world records, but that’s not all that’s on the table.
*Note: The GL point formula is an attempt to compare the achievements of lifters of different body weights and is used by the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) and its affiliates.
2023 EPF Girl Power Roster
Below is the 2023 EPF Girl Power Tournament Roster and each athlete’s nominated total and GL score, according to Good Lift:
- Jade Jacob (France) — 503.5 kilograms | 118.89 GL
- Agata Sitko (Poland) — 590.5 kilograms | 116.71 GL
- Noemie Allabert (France) — 454 kilograms | 114.82 GL
- Heather Connor (USA) — 417.5 kilograms | 114.02 GL
- Bobbie Butters (UK) — 483 kilograms | 113.75 GL
- Sara Naldi (Italy) — 505 kilograms | 111.44 GL
- Joya Khairallah (Lebanon) — 428.5 kilograms | 108.89 GL
- Amelie Mierger (France) — 642.5 kilograms | 107.30 GL
- Alison Huet (France) — 391 kilograms | 99.70 GL
- Estela Cuervo Usanos (Spain) — 371 kilograms | 95.53 GL
With three wild card spots still open for the 2024 Sheffield Championships, the top four athletes on the roster all aim for a performance that will earn them selection.
Connor’s ability to chip the deadlift world record (i.e., add a half-kilogram to the bar rather than a 2.5-kilogram (5.5-pound) increment gives her an edge. She will undoubtedly bring that advantage to bear in what promises to be an exciting endgame.
Tune in to the FFForce YouTube channel on October 22, where the event will be live-streamed for free.
Featured Image: @heather.e.connor on Instagram
