German powerlifter Sonja Stefanie Krüger has been setting records since she was 16 years old. She lifts in the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) and was Sub-Junior (ages 14-18) and Junior (ages 20-23) world champion eight times. Only recently in the Open division, Krüger holds IPF Open equipped squat and bench press world records in the 69 and 76-kilogram weight classes. 

Krüger won her first IPF Open World title in Viborg, Denmark, in 2022. She entered the 2023 World Equipped Championships (WEC) to defend her title in the 76-kilogram class. As part of her campaign, Krüger broke the IPF equipped bench press world record with a mammoth 195.5 kilograms (431 pounds). Check out the record lift in the video below, courtesy of the IPF’s Instagram page:

The IPF allows single-ply squat suits, deadlift suits, bench shirts, and two-meter knee wraps in its equipped competitions. Krüger made use of all of that equipment during her performance at the 2023 WEC. She used the widest permissible grip while covering the rings on the barbell. This is typical in single-ply equipped bench pressing.

2023 IPF World Equipped Powerlifting Championships Results – Sonja Stefanie Krüger (Germany) 76KG

• Squat
  • 267.5 kilograms (590 pounds)
  • 267.5 kilograms (590 pounds)
  • 267.5 kilograms (590 pounds)
• Bench Press
  • 195.5 kilograms (431 pounds)
  • 195.5 kilograms (431 pounds)
  • 195.5 kilograms (431 pounds)— New Open IPF Raw World Record
• Deadlift
  • 190 kilograms (419 pounds)
  • 197.5 kilograms (435 pounds)
  • 200 kilograms (441 pounds) 
• Total — 663 kilograms (1,462 pounds)

Despite the new IPF equipped bench press world record, the competition did not go completely Krüger’s way. She missed her first two squats and only narrowly missed bombing out. When she finally stood up with her third attempt at 267.5 kilograms (590 pounds), she shot from the bottom of the table right to the top, scooping the squat gold medal.

Krüger posted a world record attempt of 195.5 kilograms (431 pounds) for her opening attempt on bench press. Things went awry there, too. She missed her first and second attempts again. However, the third time was a charm. Krüger nailed the new IPF equipped world record bench press on her third attempt to remain atop the standings.

After her two successful third attempts, Krüger was virtually uncatchable heading into the deadlift. However, Norway’s Marte Elverum gave a convincing effort with an IPF equipped world record deadlift attempt of 261.5 kilograms (576.5 pounds). Although Elverum got the barbell moving, she could not lock it out. Krüger was crowned Open world champion for the second consecutive year.

It’s unclear where or when Krüger will lift next, but expect her to be on a trajectory toward the 2025 World Games in Chengdu, China. She struggled on the bench press at the 2022 edition, and seeking redemption seems likely after claiming the world record.

Featured image: @theipf on Instagram