Amanda Lawrence went into the 2021 USA Powerlifting (USAPL) Nationals in Daytona, FL as the reigning International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Champion in the under 84-kilogram category. So it makes sense that she would be the favorite in the field to win the meet. By the end of the day (June 18) she not only won the meet — she dominated it. USAPL Nationals runs from June 14-19, 2021. Lawerence’s best lifts from the meet are below:
- Squat — 240 kilograms (529 pounds)
- Bench Press — 130 kilograms (286 pounds)
- Deadlift — 255 kilograms (562 pounds)
- Total — 625 kilograms (1,378 pounds)
Lawrence’s total of 625 kilograms was 107.5 kilograms than second-place finisher Kennia Webb, who totaled 517.5 kilograms for the silver position on the podium. Third place went to Margaret Hampton, who totaled the same amount as Webb, but weighed 1.6 kilograms more than her.
View this post on Instagram
[Related: Best Weightlifting Belts for Squats, Deadlifts, and More]
Lawrence’s bench press tied her personal best that she set at the 2020 Gainsgiving Open in Wisconsin. None of the lifts broke any American records, though she currently holds the American records for the squat (256 kilograms), deadlift (260 kilograms), and the total (646 kilograms). The squat is also currently the world record for the 90-kilogram class according to Open Powerlifting. With this victory, Lawrence earned her second Raw Open National title. (She also won a Junior National Title in 2019.)
Meet Recap
Lawrence went into the meet weighing 83.46 kilograms, six-tenths of a kilogram below the cutoff. She opened her squat attempts with 235 kilograms which went up with little trouble. She then followed that up with the 240-kilogram attempt which received two white lights. A side judge issued a red light. Lawrence missed her third attempt of 245 kilograms.
Next up was the bench press. She opened with a successful lift of 122.5 kilograms. Next was 130 kilograms, and that lift was good as well. She was conservative on her third attempt, adding only 2.5 kilograms. The 132.5 kilograms came off of the chest, but she was unable to move it past the midpoint of the lift.
Last but not least was the deadlift. After taking a sumo stance and adjusting her belt, Lawrence pulled the opening attempt of 240 kilograms with ease, and she received three white lights. Even though that lift clinched the meet for her, she still took the second attempt with 255 kilograms. She psyched herself up before this one, and the weight provided a challenge for her. Nonetheless, she made the lift and received three white lights. She waved off her final attempt of the day, resulting in a six for eight performance overall. The 255-kilogram pull can be seen in the YouTube video of USAPL’s stream below.
[Related: Best Pre-Workout Supplements for Strength, Cardio, and More]
Lawrence is the latest in a group of athletes that have been putting on memorable performances in the Sunshine State. Aside from Jen Thompson’s 50th career Nationals victory, Heather Connor added another national title to her resume, as well as three American records to her list of accomplishments. Taylor Atwood also established himself as the number one competitor in the men’s 74-kilogram category at the USAPL meet.
Lawrence is expected to defend her world title at the 2021 IPF World Championships, taking place Nov. 8-14, 2021 in Norway.
Featured Image: @miss.amanda.ann on Instagram