Of all the records that fell at the 2024 International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Bench Press Championships in Austin, TX, one of the most striking is Kosei Yokoyama’s new all-time IPF world record bench press of 225.5 kilograms in the 74KG class.

The 27-year-old Japanese powerlifter’s new record eclipsed fellow countryman Daiki Kodama‘s previous world record by three kilograms. Kodama’s record stood for nearly five years. Kodama also competed in Austin but in the 83KG class, where he set a new IPF bench press world record of 231 kilograms.

2024 IPF World Bench Press Championships Results — Kosei Yokoyama (JPN), 74KG Raw

Bench Press

210 kilograms (463 pounds)

217.5 kilograms (479.5 pounds)

225.5 kilograms (497.1 pounds) — IPF World Record

Check out Yokoyama’s world record lift in the video below, courtesy of the IPF’s Instagram page:

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Yokoyama wore wrist wraps and a lifting belt during the attempt. He employed the widest grip allowable in the competition. The barbell’s initial descent appeared smooth. The ascent appeared to involve a slight grind to reach lockout, but Yokoyama maintained his composure until receiving the rack command from the judge.

The comments on the IPF’s Instagram post featured many people remarking on the amount of elbow depth Yokoyama achieved during the lift. The notion was that Yokoyama’s elbow depth might not have been sufficient for a clean lift.

Per the IPF’s bench press rule change in 2023, “the lifter must lower the bar to the chest or abdominal area whereby the underside of the elbow joint is level with (or below) the top of the shoulder joint.”

While the angle of the IPF’s video might not have a clear sight of where Yokoyama’s elbows were in relation to his shoulders — made more challenging to see given the black shirt not allowing many shadows — the judges who viewed the lift live believe Yokoyama’s technique adhered to the rules and rewarded him with a clean lift as a result.

Featured image: @theipf on Instagram

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