On 20-21 March 2004, the 25th Estonian Powerlifting Championships took place in the athletics hall of the University of Tartu sports building at Ujula 4. The organizers were the Estonian Powerlifting Federation and the University of Tartu Academic Sports Club, and the event was run by the non-profit Tartu Heavy Athletics Development Association in cooperation with Wilde Irish Pub. This competition was, so to speak, the sum of several contests: the Estonian Championships, the Estonian Youth and Junior Championships, the Estonian Absolute Championships and the Estonian Team Championships. A few words about powerlifting (in Estonian, jõutõstmine). Powerlifting is a sport that suits Estonians well, given our Nordic character, but its roots lie much further afield and are not very old at all. It began in the 60s in the USA, when bodybuilders preparing for competitions started competing against each other in three lifts considered the main measures of strength: the squat, the bench press and the deadlift. This grew into a sport in which each competitor has three attempts at each lift, and in each attempt must perform one lift with the maximum weight they can manage. A group split off from the bodybuilders and specialized in powerlifting, and it was joined by many recreational lifters, because, unlike bodybuilding, powerlifting does not require harmonious body proportions or an aesthetic look. The sport has very broad potential reach, because, unlike in other sports, qualities that are very hard to develop, such as speed, coordination and flexibility, are not obligatory here. It is also a sport for the very old, because a person’s strength supposedly keeps developing until age 35, and so at top competitions nobody is surprised to see, for example, a 48-year-old man competing even against athletes two times younger. At competitions for veterans, even 70-year-olds take part, and the results are awe-inspiring. Women compete separately. The first World Powerlifting Championships were held in 1970 and have continued uninterrupted, together with the European Championships, to this day; of course, other continental and regional championships are also held. Champions are determined both by weight class and by absolute result. For this, a specially developed table of coefficients, the Wilks coefficient table, is used, in which every body weight, to a precision of 100g, has a corresponding coefficient. This coefficient is multiplied by the number of kilos lifted (either in each separate lift or by the total), which gives a number of points that makes it possible to rank, for example, a 50kg powerlifter against a 140kg one. Even if one lifter’s total in kilos is considerably larger than another’s, the smaller man can still be the winner. The same points are also used to determine the team ranking. Powerlifting has been on the programme of every World Games since the event was first held in 1980 (the World Games are held in the year after the Olympics and serve as a proving ground for sports seeking Olympic status). One of the powerlifting lifts, the bench press, is also practiced on its own, and world and European championships are held in it. The bench press has also reached the Olympics, though admittedly only the Paralympics, where it is a full-fledged Paralympic sport. A powerlifting competition is an attractive and manly spectacle in which unusually heavy weights are lifted. The International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) operates in the sport, with an affiliated organization in Estonia as well. The Estonian Championships in this sport are now being held for the 25th time, so we have a jubilee. Powerlifting has become a sport in which, besides powerlifters, athletes from various other sports also compete: strongmen Tarmo Mitt and Andrus Murumets; discus thrower Aleksander Tammert; shot putter Margus Tammaru; bodybuilders Pavel Kossenko, Peeter Aan, Viktor Tkatsenko, Inna Terasmaa; and others.
On the first day of the competition, the youth and juniors took the platform. It was a day with a very large number of participants, and two lifting platforms were needed to accommodate the competitors. There were 35 youth and 29 juniors (64 in total on the first day). Young strength athletes had come from all over Estonia. They competed for individual Estonian champion titles both by weight class and by absolute coefficient result, as well as in the team standings. Those who had collected 315 Wilks points had the right, if they wished, to compete the next day in the open class. For example, 14-year-old Alo Kauber won two Estonian Championship gold medals: Estonian youth champion, and the Estonian champion title in the men’s 52 kg body weight class. The best in the absolute youth standings was 18-year-old Aleksandr Gorkov with 346 Wilks points, winning the youth 75 kg body weight class with an Estonian record of 485 kg. Viljandi’s Kersti Kaska bravely stepped up as the only girl among the boys in the youth class, and with a total of 170 kg she won the Estonian absolute youth champion title in the girls’ age class. The young powerlifters broke Estonian records 26 times in total. The juniors showed through their performances strong ambitions to compete for titles in the men’s standings in a few years’ time. By Wilks points, the best junior was Eero Ilves from Saaremaa, who despite being only 20 is already a well-known powerlifter. Despite a cold, which was certainly an obstacle to realizing his full potential, Eero Ilves managed to squat 210 kg, bench press 130 kg and deadlift 290 kg, an Estonian junior record, for a total of 630 kg and an excellent 425.8 Wilks points. He was followed by 21-year-old Roman Sadikov (squat 230 kg, bench press 130 kg, deadlift 230 kg, total 590 kg), the winner of the junior 75 kg body weight class and a representative of Kohtla-Järve’s Muskel-Sport, the winning club in the junior standings. Among the young men in the junior standings, two young women also lifted: 21-year-old Kristiina Purju from the Viljandi Heavy Athletics Club Power (sq. 62.5 kg, bp. 42.5 kg, dl. 105kg, total 210kg) and Jaanika Jürisson, the same age, from the Tallinn Police Sports Society (sq.50kg, bp.50kg, dl. 80kg, total 180kg).
On Sunday, the battle between the adults took place, in the open class, in which the youth and juniors who had competed the day before could also take part if they wished, provided that their ratio of total to body weight had earned them at least 315 Wilks points. Our female athletes surprised us with unprecedented participation and the shower of records that followed; a record 10 of them had come. The competition of Inna Terasmaa (University of Tartu Academic Sports Club), a multiple-time Estonian bodybuilding champion and silver medalist at the fitness world championships, turned out superbly: in the 67.5kg body weight class, with nine successful attempts she broke as many as seven Estonian records, finishing with a squat of 125kg, a bench press of 90 kg, a deadlift of 130kg and a total of 345kg across the three lifts. The result was the Estonian absolute champion title in the women’s standings. The +67.5 kg women’s class saw a similar string of records from the esteemed Tiiu Kimber (Pärnu SK Ring), known as the “soul of heavy athletics” in Pärnu, the summer capital, who won with a total of 262.5kg. Already in her veteran years, this female powerlifter has done valuable work for years promoting powerlifting in Pärnu, while also being, through her successful performances, a good example for the young strength athletes, men and women, she coaches. Her successful women’s team (Gerbel Mikk, Monika Riivald, Tiiu Kimber, Terje Kimber) became Estonian women’s champion in the club standings. The men’s competition was especially interesting from the spectators’ point of view; there were certainly a record number of them, because truly manly weights are lifted at such a competition. It is extremely pleasing to note that Estonians’ great interest in strength sports is still alive, if only they are given the chance to watch it. Alo Kauber (-52kg), who had competed the day before, did sq. 127.5kg, bp. 65kg, dl. 132.5kg, for a total of 325kg (the day before, in the youth standings, Alo Kauber had totaled 310kg), while the 46-year-old Ants Torri (-56 kg) of the Viljandi Heavy Athletics Club Power did sq.147.5kg, bp.80kg, dl. 152.5 kg, for a total of 380kg. Both won their competitions unchallenged, each being the only lifter in his weight class, but that in no way diminished their solid effort and good results. Ants Torri is the bronze medalist of the 2003 European Veterans Championships. Things got heated in the 60kg men’s class, where the winner was Madis Majorov of Saaremaa SK Jõumees, who had already won the junior standings the day before (sq.130kg, bp. 75kg, dl. 160kg, total 365kg); second was Sergei Braiko of Kohtla-Järve’s Muskel-Sport (sq. 115kg, bp. 80kg, dl.147.5kg, total 342.5kg). The day before, these young men had also battled each other for the junior Estonian champion title; the day before, both had finished with a total of 360 kg, and under the competition rules the lighter Madis Majorov won, but on the second day the man from Saaremaa was able to show his superiority more clearly. In the -67.5 kg body weight class, the winner was multiple Estonian champion and European Championships bronze medalist Janek Nurmeots (sq. 215kg, bp. 132.5kg, dl. 207.5kg, total 555kg), ahead of Alo Lille of the University of Tartu Academic Sports Club (sq.165kg, bp. 147.5kg (Estonian record), dl.200kg, total 512.5 kg) and Rene Sommer. Peep Päll (University of Tartu Academic Sports Club), a many-time Estonian champion who is completing his doctoral studies in sports pedagogy at the University of Tartu, once again proved his superiority in the 75kg body weight class (sq. 225kg, bp. 137.5kg, dl.245kg, total 607.5kg), earning 451.4 Wilks points. For Peep Päll this is not much, but this time it was enough to win. He was followed by Roman Sadikov, who had become junior champion the day before, and in third place by the 49-year-old veteran Koit Taul of the Viljandi Heavy Athletics Club Power (sq.190kg, bp.162.5kg, dl. 212.5kg, total 565kg), ahead of the 53-year-old veteran Viktor Tsiviljov from Järvakandi (490kg) and Imre Alljärv from Peetri.
The -82.5kg men’s ranking was led by Aivar Krupp of the Tallinn Police Sports Society (sq. 220kg, bp. 160kg, dl. 260kg, total 640kg), ahead of Janno Jürgenson of the University of Tartu Academic Sports Club (sq. 195kg, bp. 160kg, dl.220kg, total 575kg).
In the -90kg men’s class, Margus Silbaum triumphed after a year and a half away from competition. He is a many-time Estonian absolute champion, secretary general of the Estonian Powerlifting Federation and the powerlifter who has represented Estonia most successfully in international competitions (at the 2001 World Championships in Finland, Margus won a bronze medal in the deadlift with 325kg at a body weight of 82.5kg). His result (sq. 265kg, bp. 170kg, dl.300kg, total 735kg) is not satisfying for Margus himself (his total record is 802.5kg), but it was enough to beat another legendary Estonian powerlifter, Aivo Nurmine, who will soon reach veteran age (University of Tartu Academic Sports Club, sq.245kg, bp.180kg, dl.260 and total 685kg). Aivo Nurmine is the best bench presser in Estonian history, with a personal record of 210kg, which unfortunately he could not repeat this time because of a shoulder injury.
The -100kg body weight class was won once again by Rain Suurkivi (Tallinn Police Sports Society), who turned 48 this year but whose results remain good regardless of age (sq. 260kg, bp. 172.5kg, dl.250kg, total 682.5kg). Rain Suurkivi has been involved in powerlifting for all 25 years and has successfully represented Estonia in international competitions in the veterans’ age class; he has won a bronze medal at the World Veterans Championships and holds two fourth places from the European Veterans Championships. It can be said that powerlifting is the sport with the most professional veteran level in the world, because in many cases the veterans’ results fall not much short of the results in the open class. Rain was followed by Sergei Musijev from Tallinn and Erik Teder (Tallinn Police Sports Society).
Unfortunately, there was a shortage of competitors in the heavy weight classes this time. Valdo Leps and Tarmo Mitt were absent, as was Rain Karu, who was busy with organizing. In the 110kg men’s class, the win went to Aivar Zarubin (Tallinn Police Sports Society), a many-time Estonian champion in classical lifting and winner of the Police World Games in powerlifting: sq. 280kg, bp. 175kg, dl.290kg and total 745kg. He was followed by Mario Sild of Kohtla-Järve’s Muskel-Sport.
-125kg turned out to be the last weight class this time, won by Eero Laasner, a soldier of the Estonian Scouts Battalion from Märjamaa (sq.250kg, bp.190kg, dl.270kg and total 710kg). Urmas Saimre, who had also competed the day before in the junior standings, achieved a considerably better result than the day before, 702.5kg (692.5kg the day before), but still had to concede to the older competitor.
The absolute winner, with 480.2 Wilks points, was Margus Silbaum, followed by University of Tartu Academic Sports Club powerlifters Peep Päll with 451.4 points and Aivo Nurmine with 450.4 points. Fourth was Janek Nurmeots with 447.7 points, fifth Aivar Zarubin with 446.0 points and sixth Rain Suurkivi with 429.3 points.
The team champion was the Tallinn Police Sports Society, followed by the University of Tartu Academic Sports Club and Kohtla-Järve’s Muskel-Sport.
As the organizer of the competition, I thank everyone who helped us organize this excellent event: the City of Tartu, the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, the University of Tartu Academic Sports Club, A le Coq, Saaremaa Vodka, Wilde Irish Pub, Setanta Irish Pub, Robocop together with the portal AMAZON.EE, Vesmark, Guttenberg, T-Style, Kaare Pagar, Bambona, Vanemuine Theatre, PC Expert, Peepar Kinnisvara, ReheHotell, Powerman, Peeter Jõgioja, Siim Jõgioja, Marko Shubarin, and the helpers and security staff.
Author: https://powerlifting.ee/
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