OVER three dozen records were broken when the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPLF) held its Senior National Powerlifting Championships on Sunday at the Saint Stanislaus College in the capital city.

Although a large number of participants excelled at the championships, Romario Gonsalves and Tineisha Toney were adjudged best lifters.

The national competitor, Toney, who competed in the 63kg weight class, was able to accumulate 340.5 total points, which was converted to 592.24 International Powerlifting points.  In total, the 19-year-old squatted 125.0kg, bench pressed 65.5kg and deadlifted 150.0kg.  Toney’s bench press (144.403 lbs.) was one of the national records broken.

The 21-year-old Gonsalves tallied 602.5 points (741.91 IPF points) after he squatted 222.5kg, bench pressed 120.0kg (a new record) and deadlifted 260.0kg to win the Junior Raw and Open Raw categories of his weight division.

Although a whopping 37 records were broken, a 700 lbs. (317.5kg) deadlift mark by former Caribbean Championships gold medal winner, Vijai Rahim, was one of the standout performances.

The talented 27-year-old finished first in the 74kg Men’s Open EQ after squatting 287kg and bench pressing 182.5 kg for a total points of 787.5kg.  Rahim’s bench press and total points were also national records.

There were numerous other standouts at the championships, and several of the lifters were able to register a clean sweep of performances.

Leading the charge in the female division was 45-year-old Jacquelyn Toney, who won the 84kg Women’s Open Raw division with records in her squat (140.0kg), bench press (62.5kg), deadlift (147.5kg) and her overall total of (350.0kg).  Toney also won the Open Raw division in the same weight class.

There were two other women’s divisions. The 72kg Women’s Open Raw, which was won by Chitra John and the 84+kg Women’s Open Raw, which was won by Esther Maycock.

The men had the bulk of the record-breaking performances and several of the established names were able to excel.

Jermy Indarjit, who won the 66kg class of the Men’s Sb-Jr Raw division, powered his way to records in the squat (172.5kg), the bench press (85.0), the deadlift 227.5kg and the overall total of 485.0kg.

Forty-year-old Nigel Phillips, who claimed two first place trophies (a win in the 93kg Men’s Open EQ and the 93kg Men’s Master 1 EQ) led the record count with six.

He registered a record in the Men’s Master 1 EQ with a squat of 287.5kg, a bench press of 190kg in the same division, a deadlift of 247.5kg and a total of 725.0kg.   In the Men’s Open, his 190kg bench press was also a record, so too was his total of 725kg.

Martin Webster, 52, also registered multiple records.  His five new marks were attained in the 93kg weight class.  In the Men’s Master 2 EQ, he squatted 202.5kg, while he bench pressed 130kg, deadlifted 202.5kg and totalled 535.0kg.

The Buddy’s Gym representative also registered a new record in the Men’s Open EQ for his 535.0kg total.

Ramzam Mohamed ended the day with four new records with a clean sweep of the 120kg Men’s Junior EQ division.   He squatted 295kg, bench pressed 165kg, deadlifted 255kg and finished with a total of 715.0kg.

Dominic Tyrrell finished with three records in the 74kg Men’s Junior Raw.  The 19-year-old got a record in the squat (207.5kg), the deadlift (272.5kg) and the total in the division (607.5kg).

Meanwhile, Franklyn Brisport-Luke (66kg Men’s Open EQ and Men’s Masters 2 EQ) and Farouk Abdool (120kg Men’s Open EQ and Men’s Master 1 EQ) both registered two wins each at the championships.