The 2016 International Powerlifting Federation’s Classic World Championship opened today in Killeen, Texas with competition in the various male and female weight categories in the Master Age divisions.
Canada had a full team of athletes lifting, and none were more successful than Jan Shulman from North Bay.
Indeed, Shulman a member of the local Valhalla club and the reigning Canadian champion and record holder, is now the World Champion and record holder in the M4 (70 years +) 53 kilo category.
Shulman, who is 71 years young, managed to post a best squat of 60 kilos, and a top bench press of 42 kilos.
Each of those marks were accepted as new world records.
In the deadlift portion of the contest Shulman broke the world record twice. She opened with a conservative lift of 80 kilos to take the title, and then she went on another record spree. She called for 88 kilos on her second attempt to break the current standard of 87.5 kilos.
With that weight she made a strong success. Not satisfied, Jan elected to go to 93 kilos; and she pulled her final lift smoothly to completion.
Shulman ended with a total of 195 kilos, another new IPF record. Jan was coached by her local teammate and training partner, Jen McConnell.
Later this week Riley Bullet of North Bay will take to the platform to do battle in the Sub-Junior (under 18) 59 kilo class. Bullet is the Canadian Sub-Junior Champion and is ranked 5th in his division. Another Canadian competitor with a North Bay connection is Trent Blanchard of Ottawa. Blanchard, who learned to powerlift while attending Canadore College, is entered in the Junior (under 23) 83 kilo class. According to the entry statistics he has the third highest total in his division.
