GAPLF Senior National Championships: Tyrell, Hunter, Sanmoogan dominate as records tumble
The victorious Dominic Tyrell (Emmerson Campbell photo)
Dominic Tyrell, Romeo Hunter and Sarah Sanmoogan were most outstanding in their participation in the Guyana Amateur Power Lifting Federation’s (GAPLF’s) Senior National Championships staged at the St Stanislaus College on Sunday last. They each shattered records in an awesome display in their respective categories.
Competing in the 74kg class, Tyrell lifted a mammoth 310kg (682lbs), more than four times his bodyweight. It was the most for any lifter of the day, and produced an unofficial sub-junior world record.
Earlier in the day, Tyrell recorded a best bench press of 140.5kg (309.1lbs) and a best squat of 235kg (517lbs) for an eye-popping total of 685.5kg (1508lbs). These are all records for his 74kg junior class, and his IPF points of 100.63 was the best of all the lifters on the platform.
Romeo Hunter was in a class by himself
Despite injuring his groin, 16-year-old Romeo Hunter also worked wonders with his lifts. Competing in the 83kg class, the Unity Gym’s “Teen Machine” squatted 252.5kg (555.5lbs), benched 167.5kg (368.5lbs) and had a best deadlift of 220kg (484lbs), for a total of 640kg (1408 lbs).
A muscular fifth form student of the Apex Academy, Hunter tallied 92.122 IPF points to break a total of six national records.
Sarah Sanmoogan stood atop the podium every time her name was announced during the awards’ presentation (Emmerson Campbell photo)
Not to be outdone by her male counterparts, the 20-year-old Sarah Sanmoogan produced the best performance of all female participants. Doing the Saiyan Fitness Club proud, Sanmoogan recorded a total of 79.79 IPF points after squatting 142.5kg (313.5lbs), benching 72.5kg (159.5lbs), and dead-lifting 162.5kg (357.5lbs). Her total of 377.5kg (830.5lbs) in lifts are all national records.
These elite lifters used the platform on Sunday to secure qualifying totals that would enable them to be shortlisted for the national team that would be participating in upcoming international competitions in 2023.
The next GAPLF event, the Novices and Juniors Championships, are tentatively set for February 2023 at the same venue.
