SBD and the International Powerlifting Federation are holding the highly anticipated 2023 Powerlifting Championships in Sheffield City Hall this weekend.
The event brings together 24 of the world’s strongest powerlifters, who will battle it out for new world records and the largest prize fund the sport has ever seen, which stands at £365,000.
The competition is the first of its kind, pitting athletes of all different weight classes against each other, and bringing the fairly new sport of powerlifting to unprecedented heights.
ShefNews speaks to five of the athletes competing on Saturday to get their thoughts on this history-making event.
Jessica Buettner, Canada: 4x World Champion
Jessica Buettner is a former track and field athlete from Canada who turned to strength training after a serious ankle injury put her on the sidelines. Nine years later, the four-times powerlifting world champion looks to conquer a new challenge in Sheffield.
She said: “I’m excited. It’s actually harder placing here than in a world championship, because you’re competing against other world champions and world record holders. I think it’s going to push everyone to new limits.
“It was always the goal to get to the world championships, but I think Sheffield will be the new goal for many powerlifters. I’m really hoping it’ll get us a step further to the Olympics.”
Abdul Majeed Sulayman, Great Britain: The Underdog
Abdul Majeed Sulayman, a bronze medalist at the recent world championships, discovered his love for powerlifting while studying electrical engineering at Newcastle University.
He explains: “I was lucky enough to be invited, because somebody dropped out. I don’t mind going up against greats from other weight classes to see who’s the best of the best. I’m just happy to be here, happy to compete, and happy to put on a performance worthy of being on this platform.
“Everyone’s going to be looking at this. With most powerlifting competitions, you’ll have people tuning in to watch a few lifters. So for this meet, from the first squat, to the last deadlift, it’s going to be excitement throughout.”
Delaney Wallace, USA: The “Strongest Accountant Alive”
Delaney Wallace, a former American football player known as the “strongest accountant alive”, is looking to follow up his world championship win with an impressive showing in Sheffield.
He said: “It’s a weird thing. Although it’s a challenge competing against different people in different weight classes, I’ve kind of removed myself from thinking about that aspect of it. The goal for me and my coach is to leave no stone unturned and just max out our capabilities, and wherever we fall we fall.
“The impact of this is going to be felt forever. There’s been nothing like this before in powerlifting. It’ll allow the sport to grow even more, allow it to become more mainstream – maybe we’ll get to ESPN, and other platforms. Who knows what’ll happen with it? The sky’s the limit.”
Chandler Noell, St. Vincent: Future Doctor, Current Powerlifting Champion
Chandler Noell, the two-times world champion from St. Vincent, has had to balance the demands of medical school with preparing for the world’s biggest powerlifting competition.
She said: “Training has been up and down. One week is great, the next not so much. It was hard to find a good rhythm and build from one week to the next. Since I’m in school along with training for such a huge meet, my sleep hasn’t been the best, which I’m sure has greatly affected my progress.
“This competition is truly something special, and I’m happy to be a part of it. I think it will force the sport as a whole to up its game and raise the bar. The production, quality, and attention to detail have all been amazing, and it makes me really excited for the future of powerlifting.”
Emil Krastev, Bulgaria: An Inspiration for the Next Generation
Emil Krastev, a Bulgarian powerlifter with two world championship medals under his belt, looks to reach new levels in Sheffield.
He said: “It was not an easy preparation for this competition, I had so much to work on when I received the invitation and we had to force everything to meet the deadline. But because I don’t expect everything to be perfect every time I compete – I accepted the invitation and gave everything from myself to be a better me.
“It is an honour to be part of this first of a kind competition, because I’m able to represent a small country where the sport is still growing, and I can be an example for the future generations. Even from a small territory, you can reach levels as high as every athlete in this championship.”
Powerlifting fans have been eagerly awaiting the 2023 SBD Powerlifting Championships, with the original event being cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19.
More information and tickets for the event can be found on SBD’s website.