Hunter secures gold at IPF Powerlifting Championships

Guyana’s Romeo Hunter (centre), Italy’s Di Felice Fabrizio, and New Zealand’s Thomas Scanlon after receiving their squat medals. Caption Guyana’s Romeo Hunter (middle), Italy’s Di Felice Fabrizio, and New Zealand’s Thomas Scanlon after receiving their squat medals

Powerlifting prodigy, Romeo Hunter will return home from the IPF World Classic and Equipped Sub-Junior and Junior Powerlifting Championships in Romania with a gold for the squat but was out of consideration for an overall podium finish after failing to register a total yesterday.

Battling youths from 16 other nations in the 83kg class, Hunter, 16, the holder of 18 National records in the Open and Under-18 (Sub-Junior) Divisions proved that he was a world-class athlete by out-squatting his rivals.

His 265.0kg (584lbs) squat proved to be unchartered territory for his rivals and he duly earned the gold medal on the world stage, on debut, a huge achievement for himself and Guyana. Italy’s Di Fabrizio Di Felice took the silver with 257.5kg while the bronze went to Thomas Scanlon (252.5kg) of New Zealand.