{"id":49979,"date":"2023-03-24T14:10:34","date_gmt":"2023-03-24T14:10:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shefnews.co.uk\/?p=49979"},"modified":"2023-03-24T14:10:34","modified_gmt":"2023-03-24T14:10:34","slug":"sbd-powerlifting-championships-the-worlds-strongest-people-take-over-sheffield","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shefnews.co.uk\/index.php\/2023\/03\/24\/sbd-powerlifting-championships-the-worlds-strongest-people-take-over-sheffield\/","title":{"rendered":"SBD Powerlifting Championships: The world’s strongest people take Sheffield"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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SBD and the International Powerlifting Federation are holding the highly anticipated 2023 Powerlifting Championships in Sheffield City Hall this weekend. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The event brings together 24 of the world\u2019s strongest powerlifters, who will battle it out for new world records and the largest prize fund the sport has ever seen, which stands at \u00a3365,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ShefNews speaks to five of the athletes competing on Saturday to get their thoughts on this history-making event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jessica Buettner, Canada: 4x World Champion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Jessica Buettner<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She said: \u201cI\u2019m excited. It\u2019s actually harder placing here than in a world championship, because you\u2019re competing against other world champions and world record holders. I think it\u2019s going to push everyone to new limits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was always the goal to get to the world championships, but I think Sheffield will be the new goal for many powerlifters. I\u2019m really hoping it\u2019ll get us a step further to the Olympics.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Abdul Majeed Sulayman, Great Britain: The Underdog <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Abdul Majeed Sulayman<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Abdul Majeed Sulayman, a bronze medalist at the recent world championships, discovered his love for powerlifting while studying electrical engineering at Newcastle University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He explains: \u201cI was lucky enough to be invited, because somebody dropped out. I don\u2019t mind going up against greats from other weight classes to see who\u2019s the best of the best. I\u2019m just happy to be here, happy to compete, and happy to put on a performance worthy of being on this platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEveryone\u2019s going to be looking at this. With most powerlifting competitions, you\u2019ll have people tuning in to watch a few lifters. So for this meet, from the first squat, to the last deadlift, it\u2019s going to be excitement throughout.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Delaney Wallace, USA: The “Strongest Accountant Alive”<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Delaney Wallace<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Delaney Wallace, a former American football player known as the \u201cstrongest accountant alive\u201d, is looking to follow up his world championship win with an impressive showing in Sheffield. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said: \u201cIt\u2019s a weird thing. Although it\u2019s a challenge competing against different people in different weight classes, I\u2019ve 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe impact of this is going to be felt forever. There\u2019s been nothing like this before in powerlifting. It\u2019ll allow the sport to grow even more, allow it to become more mainstream \u2013 maybe we\u2019ll get to ESPN, and other platforms. Who knows what\u2019ll happen with it? The sky\u2019s the limit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Chandler Noell, St. Vincent: Future Doctor, Current Powerlifting Champion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Chandler Noell<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Chandler Noell, the two-times world champion from St. Vincent, has had to balance the demands of medical school with preparing for the world\u2019s biggest powerlifting competition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She said: \u201cTraining 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Emil Krastev, Bulgaria: An Inspiration for the Next Generation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Emil Krastev<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Emil Krastev, a Bulgarian powerlifter with two world championship medals under his belt, looks to reach new levels in Sheffield.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said: \u201cIt 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\u2019t expect everything to be perfect every time I compete – I accepted the invitation and gave everything from myself to be a better me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is an honour to be part of this first of a kind competition, because I\u2019m 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Competitors assembled.

12 women and 12 men have arrived in England to participate in the inaugural Sheffield Powerlifting Championships. After many months of training, they are ready to battle it out across weight class for the title of champion of champions.#Sheffield2023<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/H4BLaAZ5uk<\/a><\/p>— SBD (@SBDApparel) March 23, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote>