The 2021 International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Open Championships began on Nov. 8, 2021, in Stavanger, Norway, and last until Nov. 13. A highlight of that competition is Alexis Maher of the USA, competing in the 74-kilogram weight class, scoring a new IPF equipped deadlift world record of 329 kilograms (729.3 pounds).
Maher hit that equipped deadlift world record wearing a single-ply suit and a lifting belt. He used a sumo stance and a hook grip to move the barbell off the ground to a slow but smooth lockout. Check out Maher’s lift below, courtesy of the IPF’s Instagram page:
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Maher’s new world record deadlift is nearly four-and-a-half times his bodyweight. The previous IPF equipped world record at 74 kilograms belonged to Kjell Egil Bakkelund — a 328.5-kilogram (724.2-pound) lift from the 2018 IPF World Open Championships.
According to Open Powerlifting, Maher has lifted heavier than his new IPF world record in single-ply competition before. At the 2021 USA Powerlifting (USAPL) Equipped Nationals on June 14, 2021, Maher scored the following stats en route to a gold-medal finish:
2021 USAPL Equipped Nationals — Alexis Maher | 72KG, Single-Ply
- Squat — 312.5 kilograms (689 pounds)
- Bench Press — 165 kilograms (363.8 pounds)
- Deadlift — 331 kilograms (729.7 pounds) — third heaviest deadlift all time
- Total — 808.5 kilograms (1,782.4 pounds)
Maher’s 331-kilogram (729.7-pound) deadlift is the third heaviest ever in the division.
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The only two heavier lifts ever in the 74-kilogram class are Sergei Gaishinetc‘s second-heaviest 332.5 kilograms (733 pounds) and Darimin Sahroni’s all-time world record of 333.5 kilograms (735.2 pounds). Maher also holds the second heaviest all-time raw deadlift in the 75-kilogram class — a 347.5-kilogram (766.1-pound) lift at the 2021 United States Powerlifting Association (USPA) Top of Texas Trifecta on Jan. 30, 2021.
The 2021 IPF World Open Championships conclude on Nov. 13, 2021. We’ll see if any other powerlifters join Maher in the record books.
Featured image: @theipf on Instagram