Kenia Monserrate of Ecuador has a storied history in equipped powerlifting. She has been competing internationally with the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) since 2008 and has graced the podium many times. She also lifts raw and was the classic Junior World Champion in 2014.
Entering the 2023 IPF World Equipped Championships, taking place from Nov. 13-19, 2023, in Vilnius, Lithuania, the all-time IPF equipped squat world record in the 57-kilogram class was held by Sri Hartati of Indonesia — 225 kilograms set in 2018. While that record withstood many failed attempts to oust it, it could not outlast Monserrate’s successful 227.5-kilogram (501.5-pound) squat in her third attempt. Take a look at Monserrate’s new IPF equipped squat world record lift in the video below, courtesy of the IPF’s Instagram page:
2023 IPF World Equipped Championships Results – Kenia Monserrate (ECU) 57KG
- Squat
- 210 kilograms (463 pounds)
- 220 kilograms (485 pounds)
- 227.5 kilograms (501.5 pounds) — New Open IPF Raw World Record
- Bench Press
120 kilograms (264.5 pounds)120 kilograms (264.5 pounds)- 120 kilograms (264.5 pounds)
- Deadlift
- 177.5 kilograms (391 pounds)
- 187.5 kilograms (413 pounds)
- 195 kilograms (430 pounds)
- Total — 535 kilograms (1,179 pounds)
Monserrate lifted with the assistance of single-ply equipment, namely a squat suit and knee wraps. The squat suit is designed to resist the attempts of the lifter to bend at the hips. The athlete uses the weight on the barbell and their own strength to overcome the resistance of the suit and store energy in the equipment, which can then assist in the ascent.
In the video, Monserrate took a series of rapid breaths to compose herself before bracing for the descent. She maintained an upright position on the way down, pressing into the knee wraps, and was rewarded with a smooth ascent, roaring her triumph at the top.
This huge squat gave Monserrate the lead in the competition going into bench press, but her new squat record suddenly looked in doubt when she missed her first two bench press attempts. In the IPF, any single lift world record must be accompanied by a total to be accepted. It was a tense moment, but a huge cheer came from the crowd when the referees’ lights shone pure white on Monserrate’s third attempt.
The issues on bench press meant that Monserrate could not mount a serious challenge to Kimberly Johnson, who stormed to her second world title in a row. However, Monserrate came under huge pressure from Italy’s Alessandra Cernigliaro. In the end, Monserrate took the silver medal on bodyweight.
The IPF World Equipped Championships run until Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, and every session can be watched live for free on The Olympics YouTube channel.
Featured image: @theipf on Instagram
