Vegan power at World Championships as records fall

One of 18 lifters in the ~76 kg category, Britain’s Sophia Ellis squatted 175 kg and a 125 kg bench. Her 240 kg deadlift gave her 7th.

Sophia felt that the performance “didn’t meet expectations”. The squat was hampered on ongoing knee injury, although she did break her own British bench record.

“Although I was absolutely distraught with the outcome, looking back on it, I am proud of myself. I pulled myself up from my lowest point, and still fought with everything I had left in me.”

On a bad day, hitting these levels indicates what an incredible lifter Sophia is.

A crack at the records!

In the 63 kg category Belgium’s Sahy Lalime left with armfuls of records.

This was her fifth World Championships. “I’ve never been able to set any Belgian records or officially win the -63kg title at Nats due to being a foreigner [Sahy was born in the USA]. Well, that finally changed. Just a few weeks before Worlds I was granted Belgian citizenship. GAME ON.”

It was also her first year as an M1 lifter – the youngest veteran category.

She hit a monster 177.5 kg squat and then a 92.5 kg bench. She finished with a 200 kg deadlift.

This gave Sahy six Belgian national records. These were for Squat, Deadlift and competition total both in the M1 category and the Open (not age restricted) category.

She got the same records with VGPF, the Belgian Powerlifting authority.

There was also one at European level. Sahy took the M1 63kg record for total.

“This competition meant a lot to me” Sahy says. “Going into it I had a huge opportunity – one that had previously been out of reach.”

Incredibly, this haul of 13 records has not left her fully satisfied, and she’s hungry for more.

“I had a shot at some M1 European and World records. While I fell short of my ambitions there, I am confident it is only a matter of time. Best believe me when I say that I’m just getting started.”

“I am just a bit disappointed because I feel like I left a lot of KGs on the table.”