The 2024 International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) Classic World Championships (CWC) is nearly upon us. The IPF’s flagship event will be held from June 15-23, 2024, in Druskininkai, Lithuania.

This competition will offer a route to qualify for the 2025 World Games. The top three in each weight class (48 total athletes) will be offered a place at the multi-sport event in Chengdu, China, in August 2025.

Additionally, spots at the UK’s big-money meet, the 2025 Sheffield Powerlifting Championships, can be won. The exact details of Sheffield’s qualifications have yet to be announced. Still, it is thought that it will be similar to last year when any world champion who achieved 95 percent of the IPF total world record secured a guaranteed place.

[Related: 2024 IPF Classic World Championships Men’s Preview]

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47-Kilogram Class Nominations

Tiffany Chapon (FRA) — 431.5 kilograms

Jessica Espinal (USA) — 422 kilograms

Aurelie Nguyen (CAN) — 407.5 kilograms

Tiffany Chapon is undefeated on the world’s stage. She has taken the gold medal at every classic world championship since 2021 and holds the world records in squat, bench press, and total. While she is the favorite, she has ferocious competition in her class.

Jessica Espinal has increased her total by 10 kilograms since she last challenged Chapon for the title and has closed the gap a little. She doesn’t have a clear run for the gold, though.

Aurélie Nguyen is coming up quickly and edging closer to Heather Connor’s deadlift world record. Nguyen missed the podium on body weight last year and will seek to make that step up.

52-Kilogram Class Nominations

Evie Corrigan (NZL) — 481 kilograms

Megan Hurlburt (USA) — 453 kilograms

Noémie Allabert (FRA) — 450 kilograms

Evie Corrigan is way out in front in this class. She is the defending world champion and holds the deadlift and total world records. She was the surprise winner at the 2023 Sheffield Powerlifting Championships (Sheffield 2023) after cutting down to the 52KG class and went on to win her first Open world title at the 2023 CWC in Malta. Her deadlift, in particular, has been on the move of late, and she will be hard to beat in Lithuania.

Megan Hurlburt is entering her first IPF full-power world championships as the 2024 World Bench Press champion, having secured that title in Austin, TX, only a couple of weeks ago. She is nominated ahead of two-time world champion Noémie Allabert.

Allabert took the silver medal at the Sheffield 2023 behind Corrigan, but she had a difficult day at the 2024 event and will seek redemption in Druskininkai. She must watch New Zealand’s Megan-Li Smith, nominated only half a kilogram behind Allabert. This should be an exciting showdown.

57-Kilogram Class Nominations

Jade Jacob (FRA) — 519.5 kilograms

Bobbie Butters (GBR) — 477.5 kilograms

Sovannphaktra Pal (FRA) — 470 kilograms

Jade Jacob might be the best lifter in the IPF who has yet to win a world title. That could be about to change.

Jacob was close in 2022, but Joy Nnamani pulled her second deadlift world record of the day to slip past by half a kilo and take the win. Jacob finished ahead of Nnamani at Sheffield 23, though, and broke her deadlift world record into the bargain.

Jacob was half a kilo behind Natalie Richards, the ultimate winner at the 2023 CWC. Jacob then finished ahead of Richards at Sheffield 24, repeating the pattern. However, Richards has pulled out of this year’s CWC, citing injury. This means a new 57KG world champion is guaranteed, and Jacob could finally win the biggest accolade, becoming the classic world champion.

63-Kilogram Class Nominations

Meghan Scanlon (USA) — 543 kilograms

Sara Naldi (ITA) — 525 kilograms

Chiara Bernardi (ITA) — 522.5 kilograms

Meghan Scanlon took second place at the 2023 CWC in Malta behind Carola Garra. However, Garra moved up a weight class and is taking the fight to Prescillia Bavoil in the 69KG class. This gives Scanlon a great opportunity to add another world title to her portfolio, having also won in 2022.

Team Italy is still sending challengers, though. Sara Naldi and Chiara Bernardi have been going head-to-head for several years since they were both Juniors. They are closely matched, and the balance shifts with every event, so this could be a great scrap for the podium places. 

69-Kilogram Class Nominations

Prescillia Bavoil (FRA) — 585 kilograms

Carola Garra (582.5) — 582.5 kilograms

Gabby Martinez (USA) — 553 kilograms

The 69KG class offers a widely anticipated re-match. At Sheffield 2024, all three podium places were occupied by 69KG lifters. Having dropped into the class just for that competition, Agata Sitko scored a dominant win.

The fight between Bavoil and Garra was intense. They are both current world champions and world record holders, and this session promises to be one of the highlights of the whole contest.

76-Kilogram Class Nominations

Karlina Tongotea (NZL) — 610.5 kilograms

Agata Sitko (POL) — 599.5 kilograms

Jessica Buettner (CAN) — 567.5 kilograms

The excitement continues into the 76KG class, where Agata Sitko, the top-ranked powerlifter in the IPF, will mount her third campaign for the classic world title. Sitko has achieved a lot in her short career, but this is the one prize that has eluded her. She has fierce competition in Karlina Tongotea.

Tongotea holds the squat and total record in this class. She has broken the squat world record in every international competition she has attended since 2022. She beat Sitko by three kilograms last year, but it could be argued she still had a few kilos left in the tank. She will likely have to empty the tank completely this year to hold Sitko at bay.

84-Kilogram Class Nominations

Amanda Lawrence (USA) — 647 kilograms

Erholove John (GBR) — 583 kilograms

Ziana Azariah (GBR) — 583 kilograms

The 84KG class has long been the domain of Amanda Lawrence. She is undefeated at the IPF World Championships and has four open world titles. She holds the squat, deadlift, and total world records and is the runaway favorite in this class.

The battle behind her will be interesting. The two British lifters, Erholove John and Ziana Azariah, are nominated with the matching totals they achieved at Croatia’s 2024 European Powerlifting Federation (EPF) European Championships. John locked out a new Junior world record of 263 kilograms to win on bodyweight that day — four kilograms less than Lawrence’s Open world record.

Whether John can challenge Lawrence for her deadlift record at this event remains to be seen. Finding out should be entertaining.

+84-Kilogram Class Nominations

Brittany Schlater (CAN) — 710 kilograms

Sonita Muluh (BEL) — 708 kilograms

Alexis Jones (USA) — 698.5 kilograms

The super heavyweights will close out the show in Lithuania. This weight class was one of the highlights of the 2023 CWC in Malta, where the squat world record was broken four times, and the deadlift and total records were broken three times each. Brittany Schlater took her second world title just five kilograms ahead of Sonita Muluh last year.

The two met again at Sheffield 2024. Muluh squatted 300.5 kilograms in knee sleeves at that event for the all-time world record, but Schlater finished ahead again by two kilograms.

This is not a two-horse race, though. Alexis Jones has moved to the IPF. Her bench press and deadlift at the 2024 Powerlifting America Raw Nationals exceeded the IPF world records. She has hit a raw total of 721.5 kilograms in the past. There might be a new super heavyweight queen on the block.

This promises to be one of the most exciting IPF World Championships ever. Watch the event live on The Olympic Channel and the IPF YouTube channel. Select sessions will be broadcast live on Eurosport, and there will be highlights shows on Eurosport, Eurosport World, and CBS Sports.

Featured image: @carolagarra on Instagram

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