Swedish powerlifter Carl “Calle” Johansson hit the headlines in 2023 when, in his final year as a Junior, he won the 2023 International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) Classic World Championships (CWC) in Malta. He hit an IPF world record raw deadlift of 328 kilograms (723 pounds) to reach the top of the podium on body weight and add an Open world title to his 2022 win in the Juniors.

Since then, Johansson has been hard at work in the gym, preparing for his first 2024 appearance at the 2024 Sheffield Powerlifting Championships. That hard work is paying off, as evidenced by a training update he shared on his Instagram page on Jan. 6, 2024, wherein he deadlifted 325 kilograms (716.5 pounds) raw for two repetitions. Take a look at the personal record below, courtesy of Johansson’s Instagram page:

In the video, Johansson set up in a sumo stance and shook out his arms before taking the barbell in a hook grip. He pulled the slack out of the bar thrice and then began the lift.

The opening pull was easy and over in an instant. He kept his grip on the bar, took a deep breath, and visibly set his lats before beginning the second rep. It moved slower than the first but was never in doubt.

At the top of the lift, Johansson took a moment to give a big smile to the camera before dropping the bar, something that would have earned him red lights in competition but didn’t diminish the lift in training.

“Let’s keep building”

Johansson’s double was only three kilograms (7 pounds) fewer than the 328-kilogram (723-pound) deadlift world record he set at the 2023 CWC in Malta. However, it’s widely thought he had more in the tank that day but played safe, instead doing exactly what was needed to win. He beat Tim Monigatti on bodyweight and finished half a kilogram (one pound) ahead of Taylor Atwood.

Since the 2023 CWC, Norway’s Kjell Bakkelund pushed the IPF raw deadlift world record up to 330 kilograms (727.5 pounds) en route to gold at the European Powerlifting Federation (EPF) 2023 European Classic. Bakkelund also extended the IPF raw total world record from 790.5 kilograms (1,743 pounds) to 800 kilograms (1,764 pounds).

This gives Johansson more work on two fronts: his next competition is the 2024 Sheffield, which has prize money awarded on the proportion of the raw total world record achieved in respective weight classes. Additionally, a £5,000 bonus will be awarded for any IPF world records broken. Johansson will have to aim higher than before, given Bakkelund’s outstanding performance, but another IPF raw world record deadlift might be on Johansson’s agenda.

The 2024 Sheffield meet will be live-streamed for free on SBD Apparel’s YouTube channel. It is shaping up to be a brilliant event.

Featured image: @deadlift.miyagi on Instagram

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