Sheffield Women Trash the Record Books

The hype around the Sheffield Powerlifting Championships was unprecedented. We were given so many superlatives – biggest potential prize fund, biggest seated powerlifting event, the most world champions in a single session – surely nothing could live up to the billing?

As the crowd flooded into the theatre, the atmosphere started to charge up. There were groups from France, the Netherlands, the US and gangs of British Powerlifting lifters from all over the country. There was a cheerful and noisy hubbub as over 1700 people settled down to watch the longest anticipated powerlifting meet in history. The lights dimmed, music blared and the crowd broke out their glow sticks to kick the event off.

Records fall

The women came out swinging and there were surprises from the off. The first lifter out was Evie Corrigan and look at this! She’s in the 52s not the 57s! What would this mean for the rest of the competition? And what could she do in the 52s? A class she hadn’t been in since 2018 when she was still a junior. I doubt that even she knew for sure.

The second shock of the day was Joy Nnamani wearing knee sleeves, a belt and wrist wraps – usually she is unencumbered by equipment in all her lifts. Is this a sign of things to come for Joy? Maybe so, with the French junior Jade Jacob challenging her dominance.

We hit a drift of world records as early as the second round of squats. Tiffany Chapon in the 47kg class took the first world record attempt with 161kg but it ground to a halt half way up – it just looked too heavy! A favourite for the podium, this did not bode well.

The WR attempts started to come thick and fast. In quick succession, lifters came out to add half a kilo to their own squat world record, clearly a popular strategy.

Lya Bavoil smoked 206kg in the familar narrow stance that we have come to know as the French style. First blood to Lya and £5k in the bank. Karlina Tongotea next for 223.5kg and it looked solid – another £5k prize awarded. Amanda Lawrence grabbed hers with 244kg and Bonica put the world on notice with a fast 274kg squat for her own five grand bonus.

Into the third round of squats and the record books took a fresh assault. Tiffany Chapon took another run at 161kg. The bar slowed a little but the crowd roared it’s support and she kept the bar moving for a new squat world record in the 47kg class and £5k of her very own.

Noémie Allabert is no stranger to the squat world record in the 52s, having thrown it back and forth with Pleun Dekkers a couple of times in South Africa. This time she got to keep it as she pushed through a tough 171.5kg squat and the 6th world record bounty was claimed. £30,000 in prize money already!

Lya extended her record AGAIN with an easy looking 211kg. We will see more in Malta, I’m sure. Lots more in the tank too. Amanda did the same, looking solid with 246.5kg.

The last squat in the women’s flight was Bonica Brown for an incredible 280kg. She had her game face on as she strode out and grabbed the bar. She gave it a chest bump and then stared it down for a long moment before stretching out under the bar. A shake of her head, another and then a solid one, two, three steps and set. Bonica Brown rose from the bottom of the squat like an Valkyrie in flight and launched the squat world record into the stratosphere. With a challenger waiting for her in Malta, Bonica has made a statement here that she plans to be the Queen of Squat for some time yet.

Drama for Sitko

In bench, there weren’t as many lifters within reach of a record but Agata Sitko is capable of generating plenty of excitement on her own. The bench record was already hers and, not being on top form at the moment, putting most of her eggs in her bench basket seemed pretty sensible and we expected her to attempt it. However she elected to OPEN with a world record attempt of 146kg – Agata is not averse to a risky strategy and she seemed pretty relaxed in the wings. It moved very easily indeed but it drew two red lights – one for elbow depth and one yellow (for jumping the command?) She still looked unfussed as she came out for it for a second time but disaster! She looked to internally rotate at the shoulder at the bottom of the bench (or did it sink a little more than usual?) and it didn’t get far off her chest at all. Had she overcompensated for the failure on elbow depth? She looked more serious for her third attempt and, in the end, it was an easy press and relief crackled off her as she barrelled off the stage, £5k prize money metaphorically in hand.

Record Books Take a Pounding

Onto deadlifts and Evie Corrigan broke the total world record with her 185kg opening pull. Noémie Allabert took it straight back with 187.5kg and battle was engaged. They were the only two to break through 100% in the first round of deadlifts but there was a tight cluster right behind with Jade, Bonica and Tiffany all with more than 98%.

In the second round, the crowd were chanting and baying as, one by one, eight athletes broke the total world record in their class.

Tiff Chapon took 172.5kg to break her own total world record with 428.5kg. She pushed it up by 10kg in Sun City last year – I wonder if she regrets that now? You never know what the future will hold though and taking the opportunity when it presents itself is usually the right move.

Evie asked for 195kg for her second and made short work of it, taking the total world record back and moving ahead of Allabert. Not for long though – Allabert took the same weight and moved it with intent, taking the total world record back by a kilo and half and moving back into the lead with 103.653%.

Lya next and 222.5kg was enough to take out the total world record with 548.5kg and it looked like there was more to give.

In the battle of the 57s, Jade Jacob and Joy Nnamani were going toe to toe. A 225kg pull extended Jade’s own total world record to 497.5kg. It shifted laterally a little but never stopped moving and gave her 100.403%. But here comes Joy to attempt a world record deadlift of 230.5kg. She danced her way to the platform and the crowd went nuts for the home country hero when she took two world records in one go, moving up to 3rd place and bagging a £5k prize into the bargain.

Amanda Lawrence, not to be outdone, took 261kg for a speedy ride to take out the 84kg deadlift and total records – the only lifter to snag a second £5k bonus. She didn’t look maxed out and we wondered if she was going to take the deadlift crown back from Jessica Buettner.

Down to the Wire

Into the final round of deadlifts and Tiff Chapon led out with 177.5kg to move herself up to third place. The lightweight lifter with the heart of a lion gave it her all but she couldn’t get it to her knees.

Evie Corrigan asked for 202.5kg to take the deadlift world record as well as the total WR and the lead back from Noémie. Her arms looked incredibly lean and vascular as she got the bar moving and then pulled back to lockout. A £5k bounty for Evie but, much more importantly, the lead in the competition.

Allabert came out for 203kg to take it all back with the crowd chanting her name. She started to pull but it was just too much and it didn’t break the floor. Still that left her in second place with a nervous few minutes waiting to see if anyone could come past.

Jade Jacob now for 231kg to take the deadlift record that Joy Nnamani has held since 2017 and broken twelve times. It looked stuck to the floor for a moment, but when it broke the floor it didn’t stop moving until it reached lockout and Jade took possession of the hot potato that was the 57kg total world record, moving into 3rd place at the same time.

Joy attempted 234kg to clap back at Jade – it looked like it was going but the bar slowed and Joy tipped forward. This left her in 4th place for the moment with 101.009% The crowd loved her anyway, delighted to have a UK lifter on such a massive stage.

Chandler Babb, not having had her best day, made a great attempt at 240.5kg. She got it all the way to the top with a fair amount of speed but gave a little too much of herself in the process and went over backwards before she received the down command. She proved at least that the strength is there to take it next time.

Bonica Brown absolutely smoked 252.5kg for her final deadlift, giving her a ATWR total of 680kg and a score of 101.266% – good enough for 4th place for the moment.

The Last Battle

The Canadian forklift, Jessica Buettner, pulled 261.5kg at the Classic World Championships in Sun City last year – the biggest raw deadlift in the IPF amongst the women. For her final lift at Sheffield, she asked for 262kg to finish her day and put an extra shine on her deadlift throne. She looked emotional as she stormed the platform. She gripped the bar with her left hand, right arm in the air. Gripped with her right and started to pull. Ahhhhh what a shame, it only got to mid shin, and she greyed out and hit the deck. She was up in seconds and smiled and waved to the crowd as she left the platform.

Last deadlift for the woman was Amanda Lawrence with 268.5kg to take back the mantle of the biggest raw puller in the IPF and move herself up to 4th. Emotions were running high as she psyched herself up in the wings. Bar loaded was called and Sheffield City Hall erupted in a wall of noise. Every fan in in the crowd was on their feet, bellowing support. It was fast off the floor but her knees locked a little early and the bar speed dropped away. With incredible control and strength, she pulled it back in, locked it out and took back her crown.

What an incredible event. The biggest raw squat in IPF history. The biggest deadlift and the biggest total. Five competitors went nine for nine while battling in a competition format that left nowhere to hide. Ten of them broke world records. We learned later that Evie’s win gives her a free pass straight to Sheffield 2024, as long as she competes at the World Classic in Malta this year.

In the end, the lightweight lifters dominated the podium but every single athlete gave everything and the fans loved them for it. I have never felt energy like this from a powerlifting audience. They chanted and howled and gave their energy to the battling athletes. This night will live in legend and less than 2,000 people will be able to say “I was there”.

Final results

1st	Evie Corrigan	105.022%	£30,000
2nd	Noémie Allabert	103.653%	£17,500
3rd	Jade Jacob	101.614%	£12,500
4th	Amanda Lawrence	101.335%	£16,000
5th	Bonica Brown	101.266%	£9,000
6th	Joy Nnamani	101.009%	£2,000
7th	Tiffany Chapon	100.469%	£6,750
8th	Lya Bavoil	100.091%	£6,000
9th	Karlina Tongotea	98.917%	£6,250
10th	Jessica Buettner	96.667%	£1,000
11th	Chandler Babb	94.891%
12th	Agata Sitko	92.667	£5,000

Sheffield Women Trash the Record Books