The records don’t stop. At the 2021 International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) Classic World Championships, held in Halmstad, Sweden from Sept. 29 through Oct. 3, 83-kilogram lifter Russel Orhii set two IPF world records in the Raw division. He now owns the world records at 83 kilograms in the squat (320.5 kilograms) and total (841 kilograms).
The IPF posted about Orhii’s couplet of records on Oct. 1, 2021. Below you can find Orhii’s best lifts of the meet:
IPF World Championships — Russel Orhii
- Squat — 320.5 kilograms (706.7 pounds), IPF World Record
- Bench Press — 187.5 kilograms (413.4 pounds)
- Total — 841 kilograms (1,854.3 pounds), IPF World Record
“All my brags turn to facts,” Orhii wrote in an Instagram post, quoting rapper Jack Harlow’s song “SUVs (Black on Black)”. Earlier in the competition, Lya Bavoil also set three IPF world records at 63 kilograms for serious bragging rights. It was a masterful performance from the French lifter. In this competition, Orhii is representing ISV or the Virgin Islands.
Orhii isn’t new to dominating with a barbell, especially in the squat. In June, he set the American record in the squat with a top lift of 323 kilograms (712 pounds) at the 2021 USAPL Nationals. The American squat record still stands as national records are set at national meets, and world records are set at international meets. (For example, Chinese weightlifter Shi Zhiyong holds a heavier clean & jerk national record than his world record.)
Fun fact: Orhii set the world record with a 313.5-kilogram squat during his second attempt. Then he bumped the weight up by seven kilograms.
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As for the Deadlift record, Orhii’s 333-kilogram pull is his all-time best in that lift. According to Open Powerlifting, his previous best was 327.5 kilograms (722 pounds), which he also accomplished at the USAPL Nationals earlier this year.
According to the IPF, Orhii had some competition in the deadlift. Yanis Bouchou pulled 330 kilograms (below his previous world record of 331). Christian Ayandokun of Great Britain attempted to pull 331.5 kilograms, but the weight slipped out of his hands. Asein Enahoro of Hungary managed to pull 332.5 kilograms for a temporary world record. However, Orhii spoiled his party with his 333-kilogram pull.
While Orhii’s deadlift was a record at the time, Enahoro ended up pulling 336 kilograms.
Orhii’s participation in this meeting almost didn’t happen due to the USAPL’s suspension by the IPF for failure to be WADA compliant. However, Orhii is attending worlds by representing the Virgin Islands. As of this writing, there is no word on what Orhii’s next meet will be.
Editor’s Note: This article originally stated that Orhii also set the world record in the deadlift. He did, with a 333-kilogram deadlift, but that record was short-lived. This article has been corrected to reflect the change.
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