Heavyweight powerlifter Devin Williams moved to Powerlifting America (PA) in 2024. He scored a silver medal at the 2024 PA Raw Nationals and competed in the Prime Time Session at the 2024 SBD Raleigh meet.
The Prime Time session was ranked on the proportion of the American total record they achieved rather than the total in each weight class. This format is similar to that of SBD’s big international money meet, the Sheffield Powerlifting Championships, held annually in the UK and based on the proportion of the total world record in each class.
Williams hit a 340-kilogram squat — a new personal best and a five-kilogram increase from his last contest. On bench press, he opened with 240 kilograms and then took a 15-kilogram jump to 255 kilograms to exceed the IPF raw world record. Check out it below, courtesy of Williams’ Instagram page:
Williams benched with wrist wraps but no other supportive equipment. He handled the colossal weight with apparent ease. He took 262.5 kilograms on his third attempt, but referees turned it down due to a tiny dip. The barbell must travel to lockout in one movement—it can stall, but it must not go down.
Despite being higher than the world record, 255 kilograms isn’t Williams’ biggest bench in competition. He hit 260.5 kilograms at the 2024 PA Raw Nationals, breaking the national record.
The International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) world record in the 120KG class is 253 kilograms, set by Dennis Cornelius at the 2016 IPF Classic World Championships. It has held for eight years and withstood many challenges in recent times.
At the 2023 European Powerlifting Federation (EPF) European Classic in Tartu, Estonia, due to some backroom confusion, Jonah Wiendieck matched but did not exceed the record. Usually, he would not have been permitted to take a weight that wasn’t a multiple of 2.5 kilograms, but it was allowed as it was a European record.
2024 SBD Raleigh Results — Devin Williams, 120KG, Raw
Squat
305 kilograms
330 kilograms
340 kilograms
Bench Press
240 kilograms
255 kilograms
262.5 kilograms
340 kilograms
362.5 kilograms
365 kilograms
Total — 960 kilograms
Williams will return to the platform almost immediately. He is on the roster for the 2024 North American Powerlifting Federation (NAPF) North American Championships in Scottsdale, AZ, beginning Aug. 5, 2024. This competition has international sanction, so Williams has an opportunity to break this long-standing record.
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Featured image: @big_dev98 on Instagram
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