Powerlifting

In powerlifting the athlete lifts the heaviest possible weight in three lifts: the squat, the bench press and the deadlift. Each lift allows three attempts, and the total of the three best results decides the winner; athletes compete by body weight and age class.

How it differs from weightlifting

In weightlifting the bar is driven overhead in a fast, explosive movement; in powerlifting much heavier loads are moved slowly and under control, which is why it is seen as a sport of pure strength. Competitions are held both with supportive equipment ("equipped") and without it ("classic").

History and competitions

Powerlifting grew out of weight rooms in the USA and Britain in the mid-twentieth century. The International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) was founded in 1972 and has held world championships since the 1970s. Powerlifting is part of the World Games but is not an Olympic sport. The Paralympic Games feature bench-press powerlifting — for men since 1964 and for women since 2000.

Powerlifting in the Turkic world

Türkiye, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan all have powerlifting federations whose athletes compete at Asian, European and world championships. In Turkic countries with strong weightlifting and wrestling traditions the sport is spreading fast among young people, and Turkic athletes also contend for medals in Para powerlifting.