Bronze medalist at last year’s World Masters Powerlifting Championships, John ‘Big John’ Edwards added a gold medal to collection Sunday night at the South American Powerlifting Championships in Cali, Colombia.
According to a release, however, Edwards’ gold medal performance was marred with controversy.
The release stated that there was an attempt by the Brazilian Federation who is also the head of the South American Federation to have the result reversed.
At the awards ceremony, the audience was shocked when Edwards was announced as the runner-up to a Brazilian who had lifted in the Open category.
‘Big John’ lifted in the M1 120+kg category.
The International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) has decreed only one category per athlete so since the Brazilian lifted in the Open category and Edwards lifted in the Masters category, Edwards was subsequently declared the rightful winner of the gold medal.
Edwards’ gold medal feat comes on the heels of compatriot Vijai Rahim who lifted a silver medal in the 59kg men junior category earlier at the championships. The Berbice native totalled 547.5kg, surpassing his previous best of 507.5kg at the Caribbean Championships, but was edged out by Ecuador’s L. Nieto, who finished with 552.5kg.
During his performance, however, Rahim set a new South American record in the squat of 215kg, while Nieto established a new record in the deadlift with 235kg.
Rahim and Edwards were scheduled to return to Guyana last evening.
