The Power of Nine Men

26.03.1996 (Sports)

Nine national records - eight for seniors and one for men - that was the final result of the Latvian powerlifting championships. 

The fight for medals and high achievements took place in Jelgava, at the Daugava National Sports Hall. Athletes from Riga, Ķekava, Aizkraukle, Jēkabpils, Tukums, Balvi, Ogre arrived. Jelgava was represented by the athletics club Apollons and RAF-Akva.

Vladimirs Morozovs (in the weight category up to 56 kg), having secured victory in the triathlon sum, announced the improvement of the Latvian record in the men's deadlift. In the fourth attempt, the Jelgava native succeeded - 230.5 kg. Almost the entire Latvian senior record table was "turned upside down" by Kārlis Bulāns from Ķekavė. Starting in the category up to 90 kg, he first squatted and stood up with a 260 kg barbell on his shoulders, but in the third, qualifying attempt, he added another ten kilograms. In the deadlift, he recorded 317.5 kg, in the triathlon sunmi - 747.5 kg. Four records! Only in the bench press, Kārlis settled for 160 kg. If he had managed these seven and a half hundredweights in the triathlon at the World Veterans Championship last year, the gold would go to Latvia. Three senior records were broken by Voldemars Schulz from Ogre (over 125 kg) - 180 kg and 190 kg in squats, 152.5 kg in the barbell press. 

Latvian ex-record holder in weightlifting and shot put Artūrs Sliede  has now turned to powerlifting. In the category up to 125 kg, he won second place in the sum, lifting half a ton . In the snatch, Artūrs tried to lift a new Latvian senior record weight - 212.5 kg, but a small technical glitch occurred. Knowing Artūrs' enormous willpower, I can almost bet that he will succeed in the near future.

Winners

Līdz 56 kg. Vladimirs Morozovs 500 kg. 

Līdz 60 kg. Stefans Kaltigins (abi Apollons) 332,5 kg. 

Līdz 67,5 kg. Vladimirs Freimams (Jēkabpils) 490 kg.

Līdz 75 kg. Vitālijs Karatajevs (Tukums) 575 kg. 

Līdz 82,5 kg. Aleksandrs Smelovs ( Apollons) 630 kg. 

Līdz 90kg. Kārlis Bulāns (Ķekava) 747,5 kg.

Līdz 100 kg. Nikolajs Pavilovskis (Aizkraukle) 712,5 kg (squat 262,5 kg, new Latvian senior record). 

Lidz 110 kg. Ivans Adejānovs (Balvi) 670 kg. 

Lidz 125 kg. Jānis Bidlauskis (Ķekava) 520 kg. 

Virs 125 kg. Voldemārs Šulcs (Ogre) 520 kg.