(also at http://www.powerliftingwatch.com/node/21048 )
South America showed up as a block the GPA (raw) World Powerlifting Championship, December 1-4 in Jonesboro, GA. The year before, World Champion Mauro Spinardi came alone, squatted the world record weight of 355kg and became the continent’s representative. During the following months, he brought four new country members to the GPA (Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador and Uruguay). This year, five lifters from Colombia and Brazil came with Mauro to the Worlds.
The South American block achieved relevant results in several weight and age classes. Mauro Spinardi broke his own previous squat and deadlift world records, establishing the impressive mark of 395kg and 341kg. Mauro’s raw squat is a historical record for all squats (with & without wraps), replacing the 869lbs previous mark of Jon Cole (USA, 1972, AAU).
Junior lifter Jason Samper lifted 255-115-275 (kg) , establishing a new world record in the squat and deadlift (Tn 18-19) and improving his own total of three months before in 90 kg. His father, Julio Samper, lifted 280 – 142,5 – 262,5 (kg), also establishing a new master’s world record for 110kg (M 50-54).
Saul Salazar, Colombia’s head coach , lifting with a badly injured right leg, did 220 – 160 – 220 (kg) and won the title for the M 40-44 100 kg category.
South American women also achieved important results: Daisy Kuischmann Medina, from Colombia, lifted 138 – 67,5 – 148 (kg) , won the Open category title and established a new world record for the squat and deadlift at the 67,5kg BW category. GPA Elite lifter Marilia Coutinho, from Brazil, won the Bench Press and the Powerlifting Championships for the 60kg open category , lifting 175kg (historical record, replacing the 330lbs squat by Anastasiya Amelina, 04/08/11, WPC, Russia) – 100kg – 170kg and establishing a new world record for the squat and the deadlift.
South American powerlifters have founded a continental organization in October 6th, the South American Powerlifting Alliance (ASUPO). ASUPO’s president and lifter Leonardo Cavaglia, from Argentina, believes the continent is evolving well in the sport, chiefly because of the intense interchange of experience that has taken place in the last few years. Such networking resulted not only in the founding of the ASUPO, but in better structure in regional events, better local organization, and more information concerning training and strategic planning for the sport. More experienced lifters, from more traditional powerlifting environments, like Argentina, are finally able to help the rest of the continent to catch up.