Polish powerlifter Zuzanna Kula isn’t long out of the Juniors but has already made a name for herself in the Open category in the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF). She brought home the silver medal from the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, AL, followed up with a win at the IPF equipped world title in Viborg, Denmark, the same year.
Kula suffered an ACL injury in 2023, which required surgery to repair. She returned to the competitive lifting platform in style at the 2024 Arnold Sports Festival UK on March 16, 2024, breaking the IPF’s 57KG-class equipped bench press world record with a phenomenal 161 kilograms. Take a look at the lift below, courtesy of the IPF Instagram page:
The IPF’s equipped division allows single-ply bench shirts. Kula is an expert in their use. The shirt’s dense fabric heavily restricts the arms’ movement and resists the lifter’s attempts to bring the barbell down to the chest.
Kula controlled the descent well and kept her chest high. The bar path was wobbly, but Kula pressed it to lockout successfully and was rewarded with three white lights from the referees.
2024 IPF Arnold Sports Festival Results — Zuzanna Kula (Poland), 57KG
167.5 kilograms
175 kilograms
180 kilograms
Bench Press
156.5 kilograms — IPF Open World Record
161 kilograms — IPF Open World Record
166 kilograms
167.5 kilograms
172.5 kilograms
177.5 kilograms
Total — 513.5 kilograms
Kula won the overall silver medal and 1,500 Euros in prize money — a great comeback performance. She is not on the roster for the 2024 European Powerlifting Federation (EPF) European Equipped Championships, so it’s not clear what her next competition will be.
However, Kula is expected to compete at the 2024 IPF World Equipped Championships in Reykjavik, Iceland, since it’s a qualifying event for the 2025 World Games in Chengdu, China.
Kula was the first Polish woman to win a medal for powerlifting at The World Games, so it’s a sure bet that she will do everything possible to return.
Featured image: @theipf on Instagram
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