Carlos ‘The Showstopper’ Petterson-Griffith will make his appearance today in the 93Kg division at the ongoing World Classic Open Powerlifting Championships in Druskininkai, Lithuania.
This was disclosed in an official release from the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Association. According to the correspondence, “Ending the 2023 edition with bronze and silver medals in the squat and deadlift, Petterson-Griffith will push even harder this year despite the challenges faced in getting to the competition. He will arrive in Lithuania about seven hours before the weigh-in because his Schengen visa was only received on Tuesday afternoon; he commenced his journey on Tuesday night. A similar challenge was experienced last year, but it did not deter the Guyanese strongman, who said that he is very focused on making himself and Guyana proud once again.”
Meanwhile, Peterson-Griffith said, “I am becoming used to these challenges and mentally and spiritually prepared for the task at hand. I want to thank all my sponsors, including the Ministry of Sport and the Guyana Olympic Association, for making this trip possible. I want to say to all of Guyana, rest assured you will welcome the World Champion home.”
At the Sheffield24 Championship in England earlier in the year, Petterson-Griffith finished in a commendable seventh of 12 at the event, as he recorded an impressive performance that included the world record squad of 332.5Kg squats, an 182.5Kg bench press, and a 360Kg deadlift, which totaled 875 Kg, and in the process set a world record percentage of 98.5 (888.0Kg).
His squat record was eventually surpassed by Gavin Aiden of the USA with an effort of 337Kg.
Petterson-Griffith will be aiming to match or better the performance of Dominic Tyrell, who copped a bronze in his senior debut at the event in the 83KG division on Tuesday. Tyrell finished 6th overall in a field of 25.
He will compete against competitors from the USA, Sweden, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Canada, Norway, Italy, the Netherlands, Brazil, Cameroon, Ireland, Malaysia, Algeria, Iceland, the Netherlands, Japan, Singapore, Cyprus, China, Jamaica, Belgium, Slovenia, Latvia, New Zealand, South Africa, Qatar, Singapore, and the US Virgin Islands.
