At 23 years old, powerlifter Rachel Torres competes in the 75-kilogram (165-pound) weight class and just trounced a Junior world record (JWR) deadlift in training. The two-time all-time world record holder pulled a milestone 272.2-kilogram (600-pound) deadlift in a sumo stance on March 3, 2021. That is a full 34.7 kilograms (76.4 pounds) over the current raw JWR of 237.5 kilograms (523.6 pounds) scored by Kristen Best at the 2016 Canadian Powerlifting Federation (CPF) Pro Nationals, according to Open Powerlifting.
The caveat, of course, is that Torres wore lifting straps and did not disclose her current bodyweight at the time of the lift, so it is not directly comparable to the current JWR. However, 34.7 kilograms (76.4 pounds) is a big leap and certainly lends to the potential for Torres to claim every JWR in the 75-kilogram class (assuming she is able to compete in sanctioned competition before her 24th birthday).
Before we dive into Torres competitive career — and the three JWRs she currently holds — check out her 272.2-kilogram (600-pound) deadlift in the video below courtesy of her Instagram page:
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My strength has never come from anger, but my will to always fight for more, and never settle.
This lift is over three-and-a-half times her competition bodyweight. It’s also 6.6 kilograms (14.7 pounds) over the current 75-kilogram women’s record, held by Brianny Terry.
Competitive Career
Currently, Torres holds the JWR squat, bench press, and total. All three of her competition best lifts, two of which were JWRs, were all scored at her most recent sanctioned meet — the 2020 World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) The Showdown on Sept. 26, 2020. Here are her stats from that event:
- Squat — 200 kilograms (441 pounds) — JWR
- Bench Press — 127.5 kilograms (281.1 pounds) — JWR
- Deadlift — 235.5 kilograms (519.2 pounds) — second heaviest deadlift ever
- Total — 563 kilograms (1,241.2 pounds) — JWR
Claiming three out of a possible four JWRs with the deadlift JWR in her sights is rather impressive for a lifter who only made her competitive powerlifting debut in June 2019 at the United States Powerlifting Association (USPA) THE JENN. Including her debut, Torres has only competed in three sanctioned meets and won gold in all of them.
The next time she steps up onto the lifting platform to deadlift, you can probably expect her to call for a JWR weight on the barbell.
Feature image via Rachel Torres’ Instagram page: @barbell_destiny