Fortified Iron

Here is video of the highlights from last weekend's IPF Affiliate, Svenska Styrkelyftförbundet, Swedish Bench Press Championship held in Borlange, Sweden. The video includes Anton Kraft, 123, bench pressing a World Record 446 pounds; 275 class World Record holder, Marcus Hirvonen pressing 672 pounds; and Johnny Wahlquist, shw, benching 727 pounds, just a week after winning silver at the IPF World Championships. Also included is Wahlquist making an unsuccessful attempt at an IPF World Record of 782 pounds. Japan's Daisuke Midote holds the existing record at 779 pounds.

At least $11,000US will be up for grabs on December 28 at the unsanctioned Vladimir Mironov Memorial Raw Bench Press Championship in Omsk, Russia. First place will receive a paycheck of at least $3,000US. Placings will be determine by the biggest overall bench press.

Lifters from other countries are invited to compete.

Roster - Best Raw BP(kg/lbs)

Scott Yard, 275, has wrapped up his training for the IPA Senior Nationals which will be held Saturday and Sunday in York, Pennsylvania. Yard will be competing in the meet without equipment, although he has indicated his plans to compete in the equipped division in order to wear knee wraps.

The WUAP has issued a report (pdf) on the outcome of its Annual Governing Meeting. The AGM was held on October 3 in conjunction with its World Championships in Lauchhammer, Germany. Present were Austria, Czechia, France, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, the Ukraine, and the U.S.

Coming out of last week's World Championships, the WABDL has unveiled a new design for its website. Ron L'Huillier, creator of the design, says:

Results (men and women pdf's) are posted for the AAU World Championships which were held November 8-9 in Hampton, Virginia.

The 2008 North Carolina Barbell Hall of Fame (NCBHOF) induction ceremony was held Saturday, November 15 at Southern Vance High School in Henderson, North Carolina. Five individuals were inducted for their extraordinary contribution to North Carolina Strength Sports.

Since one comment draws up so much immediate controversy about whether Westside or BIG is the better gym, let's just put it to the test. I don't even know all the players so fill in the blanks with your posts. Let's start at the 114 weight class and work our way up to SHW.

In a vote taken at the annual IPF Congress meeting on November 2, the GBPF was unanimously selected to replace the BWLA as Great Britain's affiliate to the IPF, effective January 1, 2009.

Liisa Penttinen, 148, deadlifted 439 pounds and bench pressed 242 pounds this weekend at the WABDL World Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada. The deadlift ranks her fourth and the bench press fourteenth on the Powerlifting Watch Lifter Rankings.

Ashley Awalt, 114, totalled 1,019 and squatted 396 pounds at the USAPL Longhorn Open held Saturday in Austin, Texas, setting two USAPL American Records. Awalt's total surpasses Jennifer Maile's record of 975 pounds. Her squat ups Sioux-z Hartwig's 374 pound record set last week at the IPF World Championships. Awalt also holds the 123 class USAPL American Records in the squat, bench press, and total.

At the annual IPF Congress meeting on November 3, it was announced that on December 15 the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will present the IPF with its decision on whether they will recognize the sport of powerlifting, and, as its representative, the IPF.

Recognition may not result in actual inclusion into the Olympic Games but does move it closer to that possibility.