There are a lot of strong weightlifters and powerlifters pulling immensely heavy weights in the gym — whether it’s Men’s Open bodybuilders lifting heavy to add denseness to their lat spreads or strongwomen hoisting unimaginably heavy logs. However, there may not be anything as impressive pound-for-pound as 9-year-old weightlifter Aurora “Rory” van Ulft deadlifting 111 kilograms (244.7 pounds).
The three-time US Youth National Weightlifting Champion took to her Instagram page on Sept. 12, 2022, to share a video wherein she pulled that weight in a sumo stance while wearing lifting straps. In the video, it does not appear as though she is wearing a lifting belt*. Check it out below:
*Note: the lighting in the video is such that it isn’t entirely clear if van Ulft is wearing a lifting belt.
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This deadlift was 3.43 times van Ulft’s body weight of 32.36 kilograms at the time of the lift. Despite a significant hip shift during the lift, van Ulft still managed to successfully lock out the weight. It would almost certainly be judged as a successful lift were it performed in a sanctioned powerlifting meet.
For context as to how heavy van Ulft’s 111-kilogram (244.7-pound) lift is, according to Open Powerlifting, the second heaviest all-time raw deadlift in the Men’s Youth division 53-kilogram class is Elbrus Dzhatiev’s 110-kilogram (242.5-pound) from the 2019 Global Powerlifting Alliance (GPA) European Cup. Furthermore, 110 kilograms (242.5 pounds) is the third heaviest all-time raw deadlift in the Men’s Youth division 66-kilogram class.
Van Ulft has consistently lifted very heavy for several years, progressively building to this lift. When she was eight, she pulled 80 kilograms (176.4 pounds). In April 2022, van Ulft pulled a 90-kilogram (198.4-pound) deadlift beltless in training.
If van Ulft can clean up that hip shift while maintaining the weight on the barbell, she will be a contender for a fourth national championship when she opts to compete again. We’ll see what van Ulft ups the weight next time she records a heavy lift in the gym.
Featured image: @roryvanulft on Instagram