Swedish bench specialist Jonathan Henningsson continued his winning streak at the 2024 European Powerlifting Federation (EPF) European Bench Press Championships. He is in his final year as a Junior (ages 19-23) and is the most of every opportunity before moving to the Open category in 2025.
Henningsson was the lightest lifter in the Junior 105KG class, weighing 98.85 kilograms. Nevertheless, his opening bench press established a 25-kilogram lead on his nearest rival. Henningsson pursued a world record on his third attempt with the Junior European title in the bag. He locked out a 234-kilogram bench press to rewrite the record books.
Henningson visibly pinned his shoulders and lats back, creating a stable platform to bench. Using wrist wraps and a lifting belt for additional support, he self-unracked the barbell. Henningson pressed the barbell out from a light touch on his chest and secured the 105KG class Junior bench press world record.
This isn’t the first time that Henningsson has broken a world record. His incursion into the 105KG class has given him the Junior bench press world record in three weight classes.
Henningson broke the Junior 83KG world record thrice over a nine-month period. The 210.5 kilograms he put up at the 2023 IPF World Bench Press Championships (WBC) in Sun City, South Africa, still stands at the time of this article’s publication. He won his first Junior world title at that contest.
At the 2024 WBC in Austin, TX, Henningsson moved to the 93KG class. He broke the 93KG Junior world record twice at that event and claimed another gold medal after a battle with Canada’s Jeremie Caron. That record still stands at a whopping 225.5 kilograms.
2024 EPF European Classic Bench Press Championships Results — Jonathan Henningsson, 105KG
- 215 kilograms
- 225 kilograms
- 234 kilograms — IPF Junior World Record
It remains to be seen whether Henningsson returns to the 93KG class or grows into the 105KG class. He will move to the Open category in 2025. His top lift of 234 kilograms would have secured the silver medal in the 105KG class at the 2024 WBC.
Equally, Henningsson’s top lift in the Juniors in Texas in the 93KG class was only two kilograms off the gold medal in the Open class. His decision will become apparent at the 2025 WBC in Drammen, Norway.
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Featured image: @theipf on Instagram
