At the USA Powerlifting (USAPL) Pro Series Virginia Pro, Natalie Richards posted a remarkable performance. The contest was the first of the USAPL Pro Series since USAPL’s removal from the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF). Richards put on a show in Ashburn, VA, setting two new USAPL Junior records in the squat and deadlift and a new USAPL total record in the 57-kilogram class.
The Virginia Pro featured 25 athletes of varying weight categories in the Men’s and Women’s divisions comparatively ranked via DOTS. In addition to the three raw records the 23-year-old Richards achieved, she also ranked fifth overall among all 25 athletes in Ashburn. She went a perfect nine for nine across all three lifts. Check out her full stats below:
2021 USAPL Pro Series Virginia Pro — Natalie Richards
- Squat — 162.5/167.5/172.5 kilograms (380.3 pounds) | USAPL Junior Record
- Bench Press — 92.5/97.5/100 kilograms (220.5 pounds)
- Deadlift — 190/205/212.5 kilograms (468.5 pounds) | USAPL Junior Record
- Total — 485 kilograms (1,069.2 pounds) | USAPL Record
Note: Richards weighed 56.15 kilograms at this competition.
Richards’ USAPL Junior record squat bested Celine Crum’s 165-kilogram (363.8-pound) record from the 2021 USAPL Collegiate and Junior Nationals. Richards’ USAPL Junior record deadlift advanced past the previous record of 195 kilograms (429.9 pounds) hit by Helena Wu’s the 2021 USAPL Raw Nationals. The previous USAPL raw total record was held by Meghan Scanlon — 471 kilograms (1,038.4 pounds) at the 2019 IPF World Classic Championships.
Check out all three of Richards’ lifts in the video below, courtesy of her Instagram page:
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[Related: Powerlifter Tiffany Chapon (47KG) Squats One Kilogram Over IPF Raw World Record In Training]
Natalie Richards’ Powerlifting Career
Richards emerging victorious at the 2021 USAPL Virginia Pro was par for the course based on her professional powerlifting career thus far. According to Open Powerlifting, Richards has competed in eight sanctioned meets. Richards took the top of the podium at all but one. The only blemish on her resume is a runner-up finish in her competitive debut at the 2015 Raw Powerlifting Syndicate (RPS) PA State Championships.
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[Related: Powerlifter John Haack Deadlifts a Colossal 405 Kilograms In Training]
Richards’ stellar performance at the 2021 Virginia Pro also netted her a USAPL pro card, granting her entry to the USAPL Pro Series Finals at the 2023 Arnold Sports Festival (ASF). Athletes who finish in the top five of USAPL Pro Series contests in the Men’s and Women’s Open raw divisions or top three in the Men’s or Women’s equipped divisions will receive USAPL pro cards. Only time will tell if she can maintain her upward momentum in powerlifting, but as of now, she’s on pace for great things.
Featured image: @nat_lifting on Instagram | photo by Justin Yoncé (@jyonce43 on Instagram)
