Hardat Tarson and Keisha Abrigo emerged the overall best male and female lifter at the Raw Powerlifting Championships staged at Life’s Gym in Lusignan on Sunday.
Tarson, lifting in the 83kg Open class, broke three records en-route to lifting the coveted award at the event.
The strongman etched his name in the record books by squatting 551 pounds, dead lifting 650 pounds and earning a record total, 1532 pounds.
Abrigo, 29, was not to be outdone, the strongest female on the platform also rewrote the record books. The Exodus Gym standout rewrote the squat (325lbs) total (870 lbs) and deadlift (402 lbs) record for her class.
Tarson and Abrigo were among the lifters who broke 33 records on Sunday.
A pair of 15 year-olds, Angel Chappelle and Romeo Hunter were also the record breakers.
Hunter, of Mon Repos Gym, entered the platform and chalked up herculean lift after lift, among them giant bench presses and deadlifts.
The teen, lifting in the 74kg class had most of the adults in awe lifting multiple times his bodyweight. Hunter, who broke men’s sub junior and national Open records, had a best bench of 142.5kg and a mammoth deadlift of 200kgs, almost three times his weight.
The petite Chappelle, of Kares CrossFit, was the youngest female on the platform and won the 52kg class showing plenty of promise for years to come.
Note: The Raw Championships provide the best platform to prove the lifter’s true power.
Technically speaking, “raw” in the world of powerlifting means lifting with little to no additional equipment (lifting belts, bench shirts, wrist wraps, knee sleeves, etc.). In competition, raw lifting means that athletes are allowed to use minimal equipment which must be approved by whatever federation is hosting the meet.
The meet was sponsored by Fitness Express, the Trophy Stall, Pele Alumni, Dyna’s Embroidery, Banks DIH Limited and Life’s Gym.
