Jennifer Thompson secured her place in powerlifting history a long time ago, but she’s still pushing the sport’s limits. This weekend she set yet another IPF world record in the bench press with a phenomenal 144 kilograms (317.5 pounds) at about -63kg (139 pounds) bodyweight.
For someone who just set a new standard for human power output, she posted a pretty humble caption beneath her video:
New @ipf World Bench Record of 317.5 lbs (144 kg in 63 kg wt cl). It really was an amazing day. Everything felt great. Thanks to the support of my @usapowerlifting Team Mates, Team Thompson, USA coach AND my sponsors
[Here’s how Thompson maintains her bench strength while she’s on the road and restricted to hotel gyms.]
The lift took place at the IPF World Classic Bench Press Championships in Finland, and she made history with another first: this was the first time a mother, father, and son all participated in the competition at the same time. Tucker, the youngest sub-junior male, won bronze in the -53kg class with a 70kg lift and Thompson’s husband Donovan came 7th in the M2 -83kg class with 152.5kg.
We named Jennifer Thompson’s 142.5-kilogram bench press from last year as one of the top ten strength feats and performances of 2017, and breaking that record by a whole 1.5 kilograms is a seriously impressive feat. We’ve embedded last year’s lift below.
[Read the 6 most underrated powerlifting accessories recommended by Jen Thompson, Blaine Sumner, and other elite powerlifters!]
And if you’re thinking to yourself, “Haven’t I seen her lift 144 kilograms before?” then you’d be right. At the Reykjavik International Games in January 2017, she weighed in at 63.15 kilograms, meaning she had to compete as a -72kg athlete. And she still set a new world record with 144 kilograms, a lift that remains the current world record for the –72kg class.
And earlier that same month, she lifted 147.4kg at Liberty University. We could go on and on about the incredible bench presses she’s put up throughout her career, but one thing is certain: she’s left an indelible mark on the sport. Congratulations on her latest record. We’re sure she’ll enjoy breaking it soon enough.
Featured image via @jenthompson132 on Instagram.