Belgian powerlifter Sonita Muluh holds the biggest all-time raw squat; she locked out 285.5 kilograms (629.5 pounds) in knee sleeves at the 2023 Classic World Championships (CWC) in Malta during a battle for the super heavyweight crown. She looks set to smash it again soon.
Muluh competed on Dec. 9, 2023, at the European Powerlifting Federation (EPF) European Classic Championships (ECC), where she squatted a casual-looking 275 kilograms (606 pounds) en route to gold. It was clear at that contest that Muluh had plenty more strength in reserve. She displayed that strength in an Instagram post on Jan. 4, 2024, when she squatted an incredible 301 kilograms (663.5 pounds) raw. Check it out below:
Muluh wore knee sleeves, wrist wraps, and a lifting belt to assist her with the gargantuan milestone squat. The mood was serious as she walked the weight out from the combo rack; Muluh had it well under control.
Muluh’s descent was smooth, and her ascent was just as fast. It seems Muluh might still not have found her limit.
Muluh is training for the 2024 Sheffield Powerlifting Championships on Feb. 10, 2024, in Sheffield, UK. The contest has an unusual format in which a £5,000 (approximately $6,300) bounty is paid for any IPF world records broken. The main prize is awarded on the proportion of the total world record achieved.
If Muluh can hit a 300-kilogram squat at the 2024 Sheffield, she stands a good chance of fighting for the £25,000 (approximately $31,700) first-place prize, as well as claiming the bounty for the squat world record.
Muluh will square off against Canada’s Brittany Schlater. The last time they met on the lifting platform was at the 2023 IPF CWC in Malta. Schlater came out on top but only by five kilograms (11 pounds). Can she hold off Muluh again in the UK?
Schlater has kept her training numbers under wraps, but if she is progressing on par with Muluh, then the 2024 Sheffield should be an absolute firecracker contest. The entire event will be live-streamed for free on the SBD Apparel YouTube channel.
Featured image: @sonita_ml on Instagram
