– places fifth overall in field of 34
Long established as Guyana’s strongest man, Carlos Petterson-Griffith set a new world record for the squat in the 93kg class at the 2024 World Classic Powerlifting Championships currently being staged in Lithuania.
Petterson-Griffith, who almost didn’t make it to Lithuania due to visa complications on Monday, took the stage yesterday in Druskininkai and managed to place fifth overall in a field of 34 international competitors.
The Guyanese began his routine with the squat, moving through his first two attempts with ease, squatting 305kg and 325kg, respectively. On his third and final attempt, Petterson went for the world record as the audience waited with bated breath.
With much pomp and ceremony, Petterson-Griffith approached the rack and powered his way to a world record of 337.5kgs (744.06lbs) to loud applause from his peers and spectators, beating the previous record of 337kg set by Gavin Aiden of the USA at the Sheffield24 Championship in England earlier in the year.
He would bench-press a best attempt of 177.5kg while he deadlifted 345kg, before twice failing in the 370kg realm. In total, the Guyanese strongman lifted 860kgs (1895.975 lbs). For his world-record squat, he also captured a gold medal for the individual lift.
Meanwhile, Swedish powerlifter Gustav Hedlund bossed the category to clinch first place overall. He squatted 327.5kg, bench-pressed 212.5kg, and deadlifted 355kg for a total of 895kg.
Petterson-Griffith’s gold medal and fifth-place finish overall add to Dominic Tyrell’s bronze medal and sixth-place overall finish in the 83kg deadlift category earlier this week.
