Powerlifting in 2023 was a year full of turnover for the record books and astounding gym PRs. Across every bodyweight category for both male and female athletes, the bar at the top was raised time and time again.
As part of BarBend‘s top 10 series for each strength sport, we have somehow, someway, sifted the list of the best powerlifters of the year down to 10. However, the list could have easily sustained 20 or more, given the quality of talent and performances produced. Below, in no particular order, are 10 powerlifters whose performances and feats of strength during 2023 deserve a second look:
The 10 Best Powerlifters of 2023
- Jesus Olivares
- Evie Corrigan
- Jimmy Kolb
- Austin Perkins
- Kristy Hawkins
- Natalie Richards
- Kjell Bakkelund
- Sonita Muluh & Brittany Schlater
- Brianny Terry
[Related: Heaviest Deadlift EVER (Plus America’s Best Weightlifter) — Strength Weekly]
Jesus Olivares
Although he only competed twice, Jesus Olivares made a big impact in 2023. He lifted at the 2023 Sheffield Powerlifting Championships in March with one of the most impressive performances of the year.
Olivares’ 470-kilogram (1,036-pound) squat was not only the heaviest raw squat performed in the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) in 2023 by a whopping 30 kilograms (66 pounds) but also the heaviest squat in knee sleeves or knee wraps in any federation in 2023.
At the same meet, Olivares benched an incredible 272.5 kilograms (601 pounds). Only one man in the IPF benched more in 2023: world record holder Ilyas Boughalem. Olivares followed up his huge sub-total with a world record raw deadlift of 410 kilograms (904 pounds), which netted the raw total world record with a monstrous 1,152.5 kilograms (2,541 pounds). The total stands as the all-time world record in knee sleeves and is believed to be the only instance of a lifter hitting 1,000 pounds/600 pounds/900 pounds across the three big lifts in the same meet.
Olivares picked up his third consecutive title at the 2023 IPF Classic World Championships (CWC) in Malta in June. It was almost anti-climatic after his Sheffield performance, but Olivares will return at Sheffield 2024 in February. He stands to make £40,000 (nearly $50,000) if he hits his target lifts.
The IPF world record raw squat in the superheavyweight class is 477.5 kilograms (1,053 pounds), set in 2017 by multiple-time world champion Ray Williams. It has not yet been seriously challenged. Could Olivares be the athlete to finally break it?
Evie Corrigan
New Zealand’s Evie Corrigan was the IPF Junior world champion in 2018 and the silver medallist in 2019. Post-COVID-19 lockdown, Corrigan competed in the 57-kilogram class at the 2022 IPF CWC in Sun City, South Africa, barely missing the podium.
However, Corrigan surprised the world when she unexpectedly cut to the 52-kilogram class for Sheffield 2023. She went head to head with the 2022 world champion, Noémie Allabert of France. Allabert and Corrigan’s battle remained exciting until the end of the competition, with Corrigan ultimately breaking the raw total world record with her opening deadlift, only to see Allabert add to it with Allabert’s opener.
The second round of deadlifts went the same way: Corrigan broke the raw total record, and Allabert took it back. With her final lift, Corrigan broke the deadlift world record with a 202.5-kilogram (446.5-pound) pull, giving her a 460-kilogram (1,014-pound) raw world record total. Allabert could not respond, and Corrigan took the top spot, securing the £30,000 ($38,000) payout. Take a look at the world record deadlift below:
Corrigan went on to win her first Open world title in the 52-kilogram class at the 2023 IPF CWC in Malta, proving that her success at Sheffield was no fluke. As the overall winner of Sheffield 2023, Corrigan received an automatic invitation to Sheffield 2024 to defend her title alongside Jesus Olivares.
Jimmy Kolb
Renowned bench presser Jimmy Kolb made unfathomable strides in 2023. He had already set the all-time heaviest bench press in powerlifting history at the 2022 International Powerlifting Association (IPA) Pennsylvania State Powerlifting Championships on Feb. 26, 2022, with a gigantic 598.7-kilogram (1,320-pound) press. At the time, this was 190 pounds more than anyone else had ever achieved. Kolb lifted in a Forell Customs F8 bench shirt, sometimes called a “band shirt” and categorized as “Unlimited” on OpenPowerlifting.
On Feb 4, 2023, Kolb competed at the IPA Hillbilly Havoc meet. There, he became the first person in the world to break through the 600-kilogram (1,323-pound) bench press barrier. Let’s be clear: Kolb was the first person to reach that landmark number in any lift. No one has squatted or deadlifted even close to it.
Kolb did not just break through the 600-kilogram (1,323-pound) barrier; he left it in the dust. He only scored his third attempt at the meet but made it count: an incredible 612.5 kilograms (1,350 pounds).
A little later in the year, Kolb lifted at the 2023 IPA Tri-Star Bash. His opening attempt was a monstrous 635.5 kilograms (1,401 pounds) but missed. He had not posted a score going into his third attempt. This is not unusual in equipped bench pressing, especially when lifters are handling unimaginable weights. However, the third time was the charm. Kolb made history with the heaviest lift ever performed in the sport of powerlifting. Check it out below:
It’s not clear where Kolb will next attempt to increase this record, but wherever it is, they had better call in more spotters.
Austin Perkins
Austin Perkins had a great 2023. His first competition of the year was the USA Powerlifting (USAPL) P3 Grand Prix, where he posted an impressive 825-kilogram (1,819-pound) total that left him a fraction short of 600 on the DOTS formula. However, Perkins was only getting started.
Perkins competed at the USAPL Raw Nationals in Memphis, TN, on Oct. 15, 2023, and absolutely destroyed the competition in the 75-kilogram class — not just in the meet but worldwide. He secured a massive lead from the start, breaking the USAPL American squat record with first 303.5 kilograms (669 pounds) and then 313.5 kilograms (691 pounds). This is the all-time squat record in the 75-kilogram class in knee sleeves.
Already more than 40 kilograms (88 pounds) ahead, Perkins hit a whopping 200-kilogram (441-pound) bench to extend his lead further. He went on to a 337.5-kilogram (744-pound) deadlift for a new PR — enough to eclipse Taylor Atwood and give Perkins the all-time total record in the 75-kilogram class. Check out Perkins’ recap post below:
Additionally, Perkins broke through the 600-DOTS barrier — one of only three lifters to ever achieve it (Taylor Atwood and Rondel Hunte are the others). Perkins holds the highest DOTS score ever by a tested powerlifter at 614.54.
Perkins has since joined the wave of elite lifters who have crossed over to Powerlifting America (PA) for 2024. He is expected to lift next at PA Raw Nationals in Reno, NV, on March 14-16, 2024. He aims to qualify for the 2024 IPF CWC in Lithuania.
Kristy Hawkins
Kristy Hawkins is one of the most successful powerlifters in the world. She has been competing at the highest level for years and is undefeated in the last six. She competes in the 75-kilogram class, sometimes in knee wraps, sometimes in sleeves. She has broken all of the all-time records in this class before.
Hawkins only competed once in 2023, at the 2023 WRPF American Pro 2 on Oct. 29, where she put in a record-shattering performance. Her best career competition squat going in was the 290 kilograms (639 pounds) she locked out at the 2022 WRPF American Pro. She left this behind quickly, making short work of 300 kilograms (661 pounds) on her second attempt. She improved her squat further to a gigantic 310 kilograms (683 pounds).
It was the biggest squat ever done in the 75-kilogram class and the second biggest in any weight class. Only April Mathis has successfully locked out more with 320 kilograms (705.5 pounds). Take a look at Hawkins’ squat below:
In her caption, Hawkins described the bench press as “just my typical 152.5 kilograms (336 pounds) on my second attempt.” She secured the highest DOTS score ever achieved with her deadlift opener of 262.5 kilograms (578 pounds). This was a great strategy as Hawkins, unfortunately, tore her hand on her second deadlift attempt and didn’t secure another successful lift.
Nevertheless, it was enough to give Hawkins the all-time DOTS record with a never-before-seen score of 711.19. She walked away the winner, yet again.
Natalie Richards
Natalie Richards has climbed the ranks for some time — initially in USAPL and, more recently, in Powerlifting America and the IPF. She turned heads in 2022 when she won at the USAPL Carolina Primetime meet and became the first 57-kilogram lifter to surpass a 500-kilogram (1,102-pound) total.
Richards went on to hit 501.5 kilograms (1105.5 pounds) at the PA Classic Nationals in February 2023, securing her place on the USA team bound for Malta and the 2023 IPF CWC. There, she faced a rapidly rising star of the French team, Junior lifter Jade Jacob. Despite still being in the Junior category, Jacob held the IPF Open world records in deadlift and total — a formidable opponent.
Remarkably unfazed in her first international competition, Richards put in a brilliant performance, picking up medals in each lift. Richards’ final deadlift of 225 kilograms (496 pounds) gave her a 512.5 kilogram (1,130-pound) total — enough for the total world record and the world title.
Richards hit a GL score of 122.179 at the 2023 IPF CWC. The GL point formula is an attempt to compare the achievements of lifters of different body weights. Richards won the best lifter award and claimed the highest score of any IPF lifter in 2023, male or female. In fact, only Lya Bavoil has hit a higher score (by a fraction of a point).
This incredible debut on the world’s stage qualified Richards for a place at Sheffield 2024 where she will compete for cash prizes against some of the best powerlifters in the IPF.
Kjell Bakkelund
Kjell Bakkelund has been a top powerlifter in the IPF for years. Until recently, his focus was on equipped lifting. In 2022, he picked up his fourth equipped Open world title and, for the first time, brought a gold medal home from the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, AL.
In 2023, Bakkelund’s priorities shifted to classic (raw) powerlifting. A Classic world champion in Belarus in 2017, Bakkelund kept his hand in over the years, competing raw once every so often. However, the 2023 European Powerlifting Federation (EPF) European Classic Championships (ECC) in Tartu, Estonia, featured Bakkelund putting in the performance of his life.
Bakkelund placed well in the squat, picking up the bronze medal with 262.5 kilograms (579 pounds). He came into his own on the bench press, locking out over 50 kilograms (110 pounds) more than anyone else with a monumental 207.5 kilograms (457.5 pounds). This put him a long way clear of his rivals at sub-total and pretty close to Eddie Berglund’s 212-kilogram (467-pound) world record in this class.
When Bakkelund opened his deadlift with a fast and easy 310 kilograms (683 pounds), he was already assured the European title with a minimum 780-kilogram (1,720-pound) total — more than Carl Johansson won with at the 2023 IPF CWC in Malta — and the European total record. However, Bakkelund was not done there.
Bakkelund hit 322.5 kilograms (711 pounds) for his second deadlift, taking Taylor Atwood’s total world record with 792.5 kilograms (1,747 pounds). One lift remained to finish off a perfect day. Although he could have taken 328.5 kilograms (724 pounds) for the deadlift world record, he had one number in his sights: an 800-kilogram (1,764-pound) total. This meant that he had to load 330 kilograms (727.5 pounds) to break the deadlift world record, recently set by Johansson in dramatic style in Malta. Take a look at Bakkelund’s lift below:
Bakkelund smoked the deadlift, scooping two world records and setting the highest men’s GL point score ever achieved at an IPF international competition. A dominant and memorable performance.
Sonita Muluh & Brittany Schlater
Although these are two separate picks, it’s almost impossible to talk about Sonita Muluh and Brittany Schlater separately. They both put in lifetime-best performances in 2023, battling each other at the 2023 IPF CWC in Malta.
The battle in Malta began as a three-way dance with the long-standing dominant force in USA’s Bonica Brown. Brown had held the IPF +84-kilogram class raw squat world record since 2015, having pushed it up from 237.5 kilograms (523.5 pounds) in 2015 to 280 kilograms (617 pounds) in 2023. This stood as the biggest raw squat ever done in the IPF.
However, 2021 IPF world champion Brittany Schlater of Canada steadily gained ground over the last couple of years. In 2023, Schlater’s rate of progress was astounding. Although she had won the title in 2021 with a 607.5-kilogram (1,339-pound) total, she missed the podium entirely in 2022 with 617.5 kilograms (1,361 pounds). That clearly lit a fire under Schlater, who brought a whole new package to Malta.
It was a similar story for Belgium’s Sonita Muluh. Muluh finished in sixth place at the 2022 IPF CWC in South Africa with a 587.5-kilogram (1,295-pound) total but, soon after, joined Joey Flexx’s powerlifting team, and her rise from then on was meteoric.
At the 2023 CWC, the first blood went to Brown, who broke her own raw squat world record with 280.5 kilograms (618 pounds) in the second round. However, Schlater hit 281 kilograms (619.5 pounds) on her third squat, becoming the first person ever to take the raw squat world record from Brown. Schlater didn’t hold it long, though, as Muluh smoked 285.5 kilograms (629.5 pounds) straight after.
Brown had the final squat of the session and put up a historic 289 kilograms (637 pounds) to take back the record. After bench press, Brown maintained her lead and was a scant 6.5 kilograms (14 pounds) ahead of Schlater, with Muluh another eight kilograms (17.5 pounds) back.
The landscape shifted when Brown missed her opening deadlift, failing to fully lock it out. Muluh moved into the lead for the first time with her opening pull, just two kilograms (4.5 pounds) ahead of Schlater.
In the second round, Brown missed again! This meant she was unable to defend against Schlater breaking her raw total world record with 683.5 kilograms (1,507 pounds). This was the first time anyone other than Brown had held the record but, again, it didn’t last long. Muluh made short work of a raw deadlift world record of 260.5 kilograms (574 pounds), moving the raw total record up to 688.5 kilograms (1,518 pounds) at the same time.
For her final lift, Brown switched to a conventional stance, but to no avail, and her world championship defense was over. Her squat world record was forfeited and reverted to Muluh, who secured the bragging rights of having hit the biggest raw squat in the IPF. Take a look at Muluh’s squat below:
Schlater pulled 257.5 kilograms (568 pounds) for her final lift, rounding out a perfect nine-for-nine day and extending the raw total world record to 693.5 kilograms (1,529 pounds). Muluh went next and stood up 267.5 kilograms (590 pounds), only to have it turned down for a fraction of lockout and conceded defeat.
This battle gave Schlater and Muluh so many accolades: they both broke the squat and total world records, and Muluh broke the deadlift world record, too. Muluh’s squat is the all-time record in knee sleeves, and both were in the top 10 on GL points in the IPF for 2023.
We know that Muluh has squatted 290 kilograms (639 pounds) in training since then, but Schlater tends to keep her numbers veiled. These two will go head to head again in February 2024 at the Sheffield Championships in the UK. It promises to be a firecracker.
Brianny Terry
Brianny Terry worked hard in 2023 on several fronts. As well as competing at the top in powerlifting, she also earned her IFBB Pro League Women’s Physique pro card at the 2023 NPC USA Championships. It’s not easy to succeed at a high level in more than one strength sport, but Terry is chasing two rabbits and catching them both.
Terry only competed in powerlifting once in 2023 but made that performance count. She lifted at the 2023 World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) American Pro 2 on October 29 in the primetime category.
Terry faced Kristy Hawkins and Denise Herber in the 75-kilogram class in knee wraps. Although Terry couldn’t match Hawkins in the squat or bench press, deadlift was Terry’s time to shine. Terry’s opening attempt was 270 kilograms (595 pounds). She added 10 kilograms (22 pounds) on her second attempt before calling for an all-time raw world record attempt of 291 kilograms (641.5 pounds) on the barbell.
Terry set up in a sumo stance. The weight initially moved quickly from the floor but slowed massively as it reached the top. There was a long moment of uncertainty as her legs locked, and she pulled back before securing the full lockout. Check out the lift below:
The all-time raw deadlift world record previously belonged to Sara Schiff, who lifted 290.5 kilograms (640.5 pounds) in the 125-kilogram weight class earlier in the year. Coincidentally, Terry’s deadlift was matched at the same meet by Samantha Rice on her way to victory in a higher weight class. However, Terry made it clear that she is on the path to a 300-kilogram (661-pound) deadlift and will work hard to make that a reality in 2024.
There were so many great performances in 2023. The sport continues to grow and develop some of the best talent it has ever featured. 2024 will surely be an even better display of strength and sportsmanship.
Featured image: @mega.gojira on Instagram
